TOXIC RELATIONSHIP
Real estate mogul Sergio Pino ‘poisoned wife and hired men to kill her’ before he was found dead at $8m mansion
Now-disturbing footage shows a stranger hitting Pino's wife's car
A REAL estate titan accused of poisoning his wife with fentanyl and hiring hit men to kill her has died by suicide during a SWAT raid of his million-dollar mansion.
Developer Sergio Pino, 67, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound during an FBI raid at his Florida home, cops said.
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The FBI raided Pino's $8 million home Tuesday morning with the intent to arrest him for hiring people to kill his estranged wife, Tatiana, cops revealed in a news conference Wednesday.
Tatiana, 55, claimed that Sergio poisoned her "multiple times" with fentanyl throughout their two-year divorce battle.
The allegations against Pino in the former couple's divorce proceedings also included claims of arson and stalking.
Pino founded the Miami-Dade-based real estate company Century Homebuilders Group.
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FBI officials said the real estate mogul was found dead from an "apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound" in an upstairs bedroom of his waterfront home in Coral Gates, about five miles outside of Miami.
Pino's attorney, Sam Rabin, confirmed to The U.S. Sun that he died by suicide.
"Sergio Pino took his own life today," Rabin said in a statement slamming how law enforcement handled the raid.
"The level of law enforcement activity at his residence was unprecedented and unnecessary, especially since we had offered to surrender him should that have become necessary.
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"Today’s events mark a very tragic ending to an investigation that we were confident we could successfully defend.
"There were many rumors and allegations but what was lacking was evidence."
FBI RAID
ABC affiliate WPLG reported that agents picked up electronics, safes, and three boxes of documents from the home.
The outlet reportedly heard the sound of "periodic flash-bangs" as the SWAT team's raid ensued.
Authorities had conducted another raid in connection with the murder-for-hire investigation that morning in Miami, where they made an arrest.
"The subject was arrested without incident and a search of that location was conducted," officials said in a statement.
FBI's statement about the incident
FBI Miami's Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Veltri shared the following statement regarding Tuesday's incident.
"This morning, the FBI conducted search and arrest operations at two locations in Miami-Dade County which are connected to an ongoing murder-for-hire investigation initiated in the Fall of 2023," Veltri said.
"The first operation was at 9720 Bel Aire Drive in Miami. The subject was arrested without incident and a search of that location was conducted. No further information about this location will be released at this time.
"The second location was at 142 Isla Dorada Boulevard in Coral Gables where the subject, Sergio Pino, was discovered by the FBI inside the residence deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
"Upon arrival, members of the FBI Miami SWAT team attempted to call out any occupants of the residence.
"When there was no response, the SWAT team entered the residence and conducted a methodical search to locate the subject. Ultimately, Mr. Pino was discovered alone in an upstairs bedroom.
"The ultimate determination of cause of death will come from the medical examiner’s office.
"I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida for their close cooperation and diligence during this investigation.
"Because this is an ongoing investigation, no further information will be released at this time," the statement concluded.
The FBI revealed Wednesday that nine people have now been arrested for the plots to kill Tatiana.
Officials said one of the crews allegedly tried to shoot Tatiana just last month.
The group was offered $150,000 and told to kill her before the former couple's next court hearing.
Pino allegedly offered the crew a $150,000 bonus if the murder couldn't be connected back to him.
FORMER EMPLOYEE INVOLVED
Another one of the plots saw four men arrested in a stalking conspiracy in connection to the case, according to court documents.
Bayron Bennett, Sergio's former employee, was one of the men arrested.
An FBI affidavit says that Bennett worked on the Pinos' yacht.
HIT AND RUN
Court documents allege that Bennett was involved with a hit-and-run outside of Tatiana's home in August 2023, which investigators say was a targeted case.
Video footage shows Tatiana pulling into her driveway as a Home Depot pickup truck circled backward around the car until it rammed into the passenger side of her SUV and drove off.
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Michael Dulfo, one of the four arrested who police said was connected to renting the Home Depot truck, told investigators that he was "contracted" to commit the crime, according to the FBI's affidavit.
DIVORCE BATTLE
Tatiana had filed for divorce from Sergio in April 2022 after 32 years of marriage.
She said in divorce documents that she began to have health problems around 2019 or 2020.
Tatiana's attorney, Raymond Rafool, told WPLG that testing around that time revealed "bath salts in her medications and fentanyl in her system."
The attorney alleged that the only known suspect in the case was Sergio.
“My client feels very strongly that he has been trying to poison her for two years" before she filed for divorce, the attorney told local NBC affiliate WTVJ.
Rafool told The U.S. Sun that there might have been a "different disastrous result" without the FBI's interference.
“We knew the husband Sergio Pino was attempting to kill and harm Tatiana," Rafool said.
"But, we learned today from the Federal Bureau Investigation in its news conference that in addition to the prior attacks, a second hit squad that committed the armed attacked on Tatiana on June 22, 2024, at her home were hired by Sergio Pino and Sergio Pino paid $150,000 and gave instructions to kill Tatiana before the next divorce hearing, with a $150,000 bonus if the murder did not connect back to Sergio Pino.”
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“We wish thank the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, for their incredible work in keeping Tatiana safe and bringing all to justice.
"If it was not for their superlative devotion and dedication, there would have been a different disastrous result," he said.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
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