Last of the suspects in millionaire Florida developer’s plot to murder his estranged wife plead guilty

The final two suspects in a millionaire Florida developer’s plot to murder his estranged wife have pleaded guilty. Sergio Pino, the former head of Century Homebuilders Group, had hired two groups of people to perform escalating attacks against his wife of 32 years, Tatiana Pino, who filed for divorce in 2022. Nine men were charged in July 2024 in connection with the campaign to stalk, torment, and attempt to kill Tatiana, according to federal prosecutors.Clementa Johnson of Tallahassee, who was 47 when indicted, pleaded guilty Monday to murder-for-hire conspiracy, murder for hire, stalking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida confirmed to the Miami Herald. Diori Barnard of Miami, who was also 47 when indicted, pleaded guilty to several charges as well, including murder for hire and conspiracy to commit murder for hire, his attorney, Danise Ponton, told the Herald.The final two suspects in a plot by millionaire Florida developer Sergio Pino to murder his estranged wife, Tatiana, have pleaded guilty (Google Earth)When the indictment was returned, prosecutors said in a press release that Tatiana, who was not named, “was subjected to a protracted stalking and attempted murder campaign involving criminal acts to include multiple arsons, poisonings, an automobile crash, and an instance where contract criminals brandished a firearm in furtherance of a plot to kill the victim.”Authorities believed Pino launched the campaign of violence against Tatiana because of a dispute over their finances, the Herald reported, citing court records and other reports. The Pinos, with their business assets, were worth more than $165 million, NBC 6 South Florida previously reported, citing court records. Pino died by suicide in July 2024 at his waterfront home in Coral Gables as FBI agents moved in to arrest him. He was found dead by agents with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Prosecutors said Johnson told police after his arrest that he was hired to recruit people to kill Tatiana and was promised $250,000 for him and his team, the Herald reported. Barnard was reportedly one of the people Johnson recruited. Nine men were charged in July 2024 in connection with the campaign to stalk, torment, and attempt to kill Tatiana during a tumultuous divorce, according to federal prosecutors (Getty Images/iStock)Johnson and Barnard were set to stand trial starting Monday. Now that the two have pleaded guilty, along with the seven other men who were charged, the tragic case is one step closer to being closed. Johnson will be sentenced on December 21, according to the Herald. It’s unclear when Barnard’s sentencing hearing will take place. The maximum sentence for each conspiracy and murder-for-hire charge is life in prison, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.The Independent has reached out to the U.S. attorney’s office for comment. Ana Quincoces, a former Real Housewives of Miami star who knew the Pinos for decades, told People in September 2024, “Tatiana was always a beauty and a really good mother.” Pino and his wife reportedly had two children together. “She’s healing, focusing on helping her daughters deal with the trauma and picking up the pieces,” one friend told People about Tatiana’s life after the murder plot and her husband’s death.