Millionaire Husband Tries To Kill His Wife Multiple Times | The Case of Sergio and Tatiana Pino
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Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Sergio Pino, a prominent real estate developer, was married to Tatiana Leares for 30 years.
- ❖Tatiana discovered Sergio's affair and later experienced a series of unexplained illnesses, including fentanyl poisoning.
- ❖The poisoning attempts began years before Tatiana filed for divorce, raising questions about Sergio's initial motive.
- ❖Tatiana's friends and sister helped her seek medical attention, leading to the discovery of fentanyl in her system.
- ❖Sergio allegedly hired two separate teams of hitmen to kill Tatiana, offering up to $300,000.
- ❖Hired assassins committed acts of arson against Tatiana's sister's cars and a botched hit-and-run on Tatiana.
- ❖FBI investigation gathered extensive evidence, including recorded confessions from the hitmen implicating Sergio.
- ❖Sergio Pino died by self-inflicted gunshot wound during an FBI raid on his $4.2 million home.
- ❖The day before his death, Sergio changed his will and company documents to disinherit Tatiana, leading to a complex legal dispute over his estate.
Insights
1Long-Term Poisoning Preceded Divorce Filing
Tatiana's mysterious illnesses, including the Friendsgiving poisoning (November 2019) and the discovery of fentanyl in her system (early 2022), occurred years before she filed for divorce. This suggests Sergio's motive for attempting to kill her might have predated the financial implications of a divorce, possibly driven by his affair with Nancy Pastor.
Friendsgiving incident in November 2019 (), discovery of fentanyl in her system in early 2022 (), and divorce filing shortly after ().
2Escalation to Hired Assassins
After Tatiana moved out and filed for divorce, Sergio's attempts to kill her escalated from covert poisoning to openly hiring multiple hitmen. He first enlisted Baron Bennett, his yacht chef, who then brought in a crew. When that team failed, Sergio hired Fausto Villar, a convicted felon, for a $300,000 contract.
Sergio recruited Baron Bennett () and later Fausto Villar () to kill Tatiana, offering $150,000 with a $150,000 bonus if he wasn't implicated.
3Incompetence of Hired Killers
Both teams of assassins hired by Sergio proved remarkably incompetent, leaving extensive evidence. The first team was linked to arson of Tatiana's sister's cars, and the second team's hit-and-run attempt was caught on camera with multiple witnesses. Their phone conversations, recorded by police, openly discussed the murder plot and Sergio's involvement.
Arson caught on camera (), hit-and-run caught on camera (), and recorded phone call between Fausto and Avery openly discussing the plot and Sergio's name ().
4Sergio's Posthumous Disinheritance Attempt
The day before his suicide, Sergio meticulously changed his will and company documents to ensure Tatiana would inherit nothing. This calculated move, made hours before his death, demonstrates a final act of malice and control, complicating the legal resolution of his multi-million dollar estate.
Sergio changed his will and moved money around one day before his suicide (), making himself the sole owner of companies previously co-owned 50/50 with Tatiana ().
Quotes
"You better settle with your wife. We can't afford to be in a lawsuit."
"Make sure the police don't find out about the other team. We don't want to get charged with conspiracy to commit murder on top of everything else."
"God is close to the brokenhearted, it says in the Bible. So, um, I I I I turned to friends, I turned to family, and, um, and ultimately God was the one who just mel uh kind of mended my heart."
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