Charges have been filed against four individuals involved in a murder-for-hire plot that led to the tragic death of a 17-year-old girl from Hernando County.
A close relative also suffered severe injuries as part of this harrowing incident, as reported by Fox 13 Tampa on November 2.
The chain of events began on February 6, 2023, when Isabella Scavelli, a 17-year-old junior at Hernando High School, reported a sexual assault. She identified her alleged assailant as 36-year-old Lenard White.
Soon after Scavelli’s report, Sheriff Al Nienhuis disclosed that the teen and her accompanying family member were confronted by two armed men at their doorstep. This horrifying encounter resulted in a shooting that claimed Scavelli’s life, while her family member sustained significant injuries.
K9 units, tracking what they believed was the suspects’ path, discovered a crucial piece of evidence near the crime scene: a shoe. Authorities found DNA on the shoe that linked it to 22-year-old Keshawn Woods, who was identified as a documented gang member.
White swiftly emerged as a prime suspect in the double shooting. Authorities revealed that White embarked on an impromptu trip to Georgia on the same day Scavelli reported her sexual assault.
According to Sheriff Nienhuis, White paid approximately $10,000 to 21-year-old Sheldon Robinson to carry out the shooting. Robinson had posted a request for assistance on social media for a “clean-up job.” The payment, according to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), included $5,000 and cocaine, which Woods reportedly accepted.
A subsequent search warrant executed at Woods’ residence led to the discovery of approximately $4,000 in cash, a firearm, and illegal drugs. Additionally, law enforcement found that Robinson possessed the remaining $6,000. Janet Williams, Robinson’s mother, stumbled upon the $6,000 but was uncooperative with the authorities.
Investigators examined the getaway car and uncovered the matching shoe. They also found matching ammunition for the gun used at the crime scene at Robinson’s home, leading to his arrest on February 9, 2023.
In collaboration with the ATF, law enforcement officials recently made a significant discovery: a concealed firearm in Robinson’s backyard. Sheriff Nienhuis stated that ballistics testing definitively linked this weapon to the shooting of the victims.
White, who has been in custody since February 15, 2023, on sexual battery charges, is now facing additional federal charges. Woods has been charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of a new drug, and possession of paraphernalia at the state level.
White, Robinson, and Woods now face federal charges, including conspiracy to commit murder for hire, murder for hire, and using a firearm during a crime of violence. Furthermore, White and Robinson have been federally charged with conspiring to possess controlled substances for distribution, tampering with a witness, and obstruction of justice.
Janet Williams, who was located and arrested by ATF agents and HCSO deputies last week, is now facing three counts of making false statements to an ATF agent at the federal level.
Convictions on these charges carry severe penalties, including a mandatory life term in federal prison for White, Robinson, and Woods. Williams could be sentenced to 15 years in prison.
