Prominent real estate agent George Pino charged with murder over 2022 boating accident

George Pino, president of Doral-based State Street Realty, now faces a murder charge following a 2022 boating accident in Biscayne Bay that resulted in the death of one teenager and the serious injury of another.

Pino was charged with the crime during a court hearing Thursday morning after prosecutors reevaluated the case, the Miami Herald reported. Pino was piloting a 29-foot Robalo boat on September 4, 2022, when it struck a concrete milestone near Boca Chita Key. There were 14 passengers on the boat, all of whom were ejected from the boat and suffered some form of injury in the crash, according to state investigators.

Luciana “Lucy” Fernandez, a student at Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, died from her injuries, while her classmate, Katerina Puig, also 17 at the time, suffered a traumatic brain injury that left her disabled. Another teenage passenger, Isabella Rodriguez, suffered serious head injuries but has made a full recovery, according to the Herald.

Last August, the Miami-Dade District Attorney’s Office filed three felony counts of negligent operation of a vessel, but those charges were dropped to allow the misdemeanor charge to proceed.

If convicted, Pino could face a $10,000 fine and between 15 and 30 years in prison. When reached by email on Friday, Pino gave this up Bisnow with a statement from his attorney, Howard Srebnick.

“I am stunned by the state’s surprising decision to file this new charge more than two years later,” Srebnick said in the statement.

The new charges were announced following a statement from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue firefighter Mathew Smiley, who was one of the first to arrive on the scene after the accident, the Herald reported. Smiley told prosecutors that Pino showed signs of intoxication after the crash.

The final incident report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which investigates boating accidents, stated that Pino was not suspected of being under the influence while operating the vessel, so no sobriety tests were conducted. The day after the crash, 61 empty alcohol bottles and cans were found on the boat after it was pulled from the water, the Herald reported.

Video footage obtained by NBC6 South Florida showed Pino telling FWC investigators that he had “had two beers” before the crash, and investigators said in response that “it is not illegal to drink a few beers and to ride.” Pino refused to submit a blood test. take a breath test or take a breath test, according to the Herald.

“Officers at the scene of the crash determined that Pino was not intoxicated; Pino did not exceed the posted speed limit, Pino had the required number of Coast Guard-approved life preservers on board the ship, and despite suffering head injuries himself (requiring fifteen stitches), Pino made heroic efforts to save the injured passengers, including diving under the capsized boat,” Srebnick said in his statement. “This was an accident, not a crime, let alone a misdemeanor.”

The FWC worked with prosecutors last year to conduct the investigation, but several witnesses to the crash told the Miami Herald, which is investigating its aftermath, that they were never contacted despite giving their information to investigators have provided.

The investigation concluded on August 14, 2023, the FWC said in a news release at the time, resulting in the misdemeanor charge.

“This boating accident has deeply affected the Miami community,” FWC Maj. Alberto Maza said in the news release. “So many lives changed forever in the blink of an eye. Our hearts continue to break for the victims of this tragedy. Our investigators have completed an extensive investigation into the accident and hope that the answers in the report can provide some small measure of peace.”

Pino has been a leading agent in the South Florida commercial real estate industry for nearly three decades. According to his biography on State Street Realty’s website, he has arranged nearly $2 billion in sales transactions and brokered more than 26 million SF in commercial leases. He has been named NAIOP’s Industrial Broker of the Year five times, most recently in 2015.

Before State Street Realty, Pino spent 20 years as a senior vice president at Codina Group and Flagler Real Estate Services.