During an FBI raid linked to an ongoing investigation into a murder-for-hire plot targeting his wife, a Miami real estate tycoon who had been accused of poisoning her with fentanyl was discovered dead on Tuesday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his opulent mansion.
According to police sources, a SWAT team stumbled upon the lifeless body of Sergio Pino, a 67-year-old resident of a luxurious gated community in Coral Gables, while collecting electronic devices, safes, and three boxes of documents on Tuesday morning. The discovery was made in an upstairs bedroom of Pino’s multimillion-dollar home.
According to Pino’s lawyer, Sam Rabin, he died by suicide. Rabin also expressed disappointment in law enforcement’s handling of the situation.
According to Pino’s spokesperson, he sadly took his own life today. The spokesperson expressed disappointment with the excessive and unnecessary presence of law enforcement officials at Pino’s residence. They also mentioned that they had previously offered to surrender him if required.
Rabin expressed his sorrow over the outcome of the investigation, stating that it marked a tragic end. Despite their confidence in a successful defense, the events of the day had proved otherwise.
“Evidence was lacking despite the numerous rumors and allegations.”
In 2022, Tatiana experienced breathing problems and other symptoms, and was later intubated six times. According to her, a doctor at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore detected fentanyl in her system during the course of treatment.
According to Tatiana, she suspects that her husband had been surreptitiously administering the lethal opioid to her. She went on to suggest that Sergio, who is the founder of Century Homebuilders Group, had a possible “financial motive” for poisoning her.
In April 2022, she initiated divorce proceedings.
In the previous month, the FBI conducted a raid on Pino’s Cocoplum estate and Coral Gables office. The investigation was carried out to look into the threats that were made against Tatiana’s life.
According to sources familiar with the case, Pino is accused of enlisting Bayron Bennett, a part-time employee on his yacht, to hire three men to intimidate his wife after she filed for a divorce.
Miami federal court has charged Bennet and three other men with an attempted hit-and-run at her Pinecrest home and an arson attack on three of her sister’s vehicles.
According to a WPLG report, security footage captured the moment Tatiana arrived at her driveway in August 2023. A rented Home Depot flatbed truck was seen parked nearby, which suddenly whipped around from behind and crashed into the passenger side of her SUV. The truck then quickly drove off.
Before he passed away, Pino was never accused or charged with any criminal offense.
On Tuesday, Tatiana Pino’s lawyer, Raymond J. Rafool, expressed his dismay regarding the terrorism and attacks on Tatiana’s life. He stated that this has only added further complexity to an already complicated divorce case.
The good news is that the FBI is actively engaged in ensuring Tatiana’s safety and taking necessary measures to hold those accountable for the wrongdoing.
Deanna Shifrin, Pino’s divorce attorney, released a statement stating that there was no evidence suggesting that Pino had ever intended to harm or actually harmed his wife.
According to her, the humiliation caused by the unnecessarily destructive divorce litigation and selective and salacious media coverage led to this tragedy. She believes that the combination of these two factors played a significant role in the unfortunate event.