Four suspects in Florida are facing charges in a murder-for-hire plot that resulted in the death of a 17-year-old Hernando County girl and the serious injuries of her relative.
Brooksville residents Lenard White (36), a/k/a “Len,” “Mike Williams,” and “Stick,” Sheldon Robinson (21), a/k/a “Poboy,” and Keshawn Woods (22) with conspiracy to commit murder for hire, murder for hire, discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence which caused the death of I.S., and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.
Janet Williams, 44, Brooksville, Robinson’s mother, has been charged with multiple counts of false statements to federal agents.
On February 6, 2023, Isabella Scavelli, a 17-year-old junior at Hernando High School, went to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office with a relative and reported that 36-year-old Lenard White—also known as Mike Williams, Stick, and Len—had sexually assaulted her.
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The following evening, when Scavelli and the same relative who accompanied her to the sheriff’s office answered the door, two men met them and started shooting at them, according to Sheriff Al Nienhuis.
The other woman, whose identity has not been made public, suffered critical injuries, while Scavelli died from injuries suffered.
At approximately 11:30 p.m., according to Sheriff Nienhuis, deputies using K9s responded to the residence close to the intersection of Hazel Avenue and Martin Luther King J. Blvd. in Brooksville. February 7th. He continued by saying that the K9s tracked what they thought to be one of the suspects’ paths and discovered a shoe close to the crime scene.
The sheriff claimed that the shoe’s DNA belonged to Keshawn Woods, a known gang member who is 22 years old.
The HCSO says that White, the accused suspect in sexual battery, was immediately linked to the double shooting. Officials claim that in an attempt to establish an alibi to avoid prosecution, White took an impromptu, unplanned trip to Georgia on the same day the teen reported the alleged sexual battery.
According to the sheriff, White paid Sheldon Robinson, 21, roughly $10,000 to kill the teenager. Robinson posted a request for assistance on social media, claiming to have a “clean up job” to complete and offering $5,000 and cocaine to anyone who could assist him, according to HCSO.
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According to HCSO, deputies discovered illegal drugs, a gun, and roughly $4,000 in cash at Woods’ residence while executing a search warrant. Robinson possessed the remaining $10,000, or roughly $6,000. The sheriff claims that his mother, Janet Williams, discovered the $6,000 in her house and withheld it from the police.
Deputies say they located the other shoe that matched the one discovered at the crime scene while searching the getaway vehicle.
Robinson’s home contained ammunition that matched the gun used at the crime scene, according to the sheriff. He was taken into custody on February 9, 2023.
According to the HCSO, law enforcement agents recently discovered a gun concealed in Robinson’s home’s backyard while collaborating with the ATF. According to Sheriff Nienhuis, the results of the ballistics test demonstrated that the victims had been shot with the gun.
“When you have a 17-year-old, and this particular victim, we have every reason to believe she was not engaged in any high-risk activity. She was a good kid with a very bright future, and to see her life cut short is heartbreaking, to say the least. Words cannot even express it,” Nienhuis said.
White has been incarcerated since February 15, 2023, due to allegations of sexual assault. More federal charges will be added, according to the sheriff.
Woods was found and taken into custody last week in Brooksville by HCSO deputies and ATF agents. Woods was released from jail in February, according to the sheriff. According to Sheriff Nienhuis, the state has charged him with felon in possession of a firearm, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of a new drug, and possession of paraphernalia.
Robinson has been incarcerated since February 9, 2023, due to allegations of cocaine trafficking and weapon possession by a convicted felon. He is additionally accused of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
In addition, one count of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, one count of murder for hire, and two counts of using a firearm during a violent crime have been brought against the three men at the federal level.
In addition, White and Robinson face federal charges related to tampering with a witness, obstruction of justice, and conspiring to possess controlled substances for distribution.
Williams has been charged with three counts of making false statements to an ATF agent. Williams was also located and taken into custody by HCSO deputies and ATF agents last week.
Williams faces 15 years in federal prison and White, Robinson, and Woods face a mandatory life sentence if found guilty.
If convicted on all counts, White, Robinson, and Woods each face mandatory life imprisonment, or the federal death penalty.
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