Allen Sentenced in Doctor Murder-for-Hire Plot

By [Your Name/Staff Writer]
[City, State] – March 28, 2024

A Houston man involved in a tragic murder-for-hire plot that killed a prominent Woodlands eye doctor in November 2021 has been sentenced to 22 and a half years in federal prison. Frederick Allen, 34, received his sentence on Wednesday, March 27, at the U.S. District Court in Houston for his role in the slaying of Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez.

Allen pleaded guilty last September to a murder-for-hire charge, admitting his involvement in the plot orchestrated by Dr. Rafael Patino, 70, Gonzalez’s father-in-law. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen sentenced Allen to 210 months (17.5 years) for the murder-for-hire, with an additional 60 months (5 years) to be served consecutively for using a firearm during a violent crime. This brings his total federal prison term to 270 months, or 22.5 years, without the possibility of parole.

The elaborate and shocking plot stemmed from Patino’s belief that Dr. Gonzalez was abusing his daughter, Laura Gonzalez-Patino, who was also the victim’s wife. According to investigators and court documents, Patino sought to eliminate his son-in-law, ultimately recruiting Allen to carry out the murder.

Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez, 46, was found dead in his black Mercedes-Benz near his Woodlands home on November 17, 2021, an event that sent shockwaves through the local community. Authorities quickly launched an investigation, which led them to Patino. He was arrested the following month, in December 2021, after investigators uncovered evidence that he had paid Allen approximately $20,000 to commit the murder. Further details revealed that Patino had reportedly attempted to recruit another individual for the job before enlisting Allen.

Patino himself was convicted of murder in state court in July 2023 for orchestrating the crime. He received a 45-year prison sentence in October 2023 for his role in the death of his son-in-law.

The sentencings of both Allen and Patino bring a measure of closure to a case that highlighted the dark extremes of a family dispute. Dr. Gonzalez, a respected ophthalmologist, left behind a legacy that was tragically cut short by the actions of those close to him.