United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida

03/16/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/16/2026 14:36

Two Men Sentenced to Consecutive Life Terms Plus 100 Years for Contract Killing of 17-Year-Old Girl

Tampa, Florida - Lenard White (38), a/k/a "Len," "Mike Williams," and "Stick" and Sheldon Robinson (22), a/k/a "Poboy," have each been sentenced by U.S. District Judge William Jung to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment, plus 100 years, for the 2023 murder of I.S. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

On October 29, 2025, a federal jury found both men guilty of all charges, including conspiracy to commit murder for hire, murder for hire, premeditated first degree murder, discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence which caused the death of I.S., discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, tampering with witnesses, and obstruction of justice.

According to evidence presented at trial, on February 6, 2023, I.S., a 17-year-old high school student and a member of her school's tennis team and ROTC program, and her mother, L.P., reported to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office that I.S. had been sexually assaulted. The next day, Robinson came to their house and knocked on the door. When the door was opened, Robinson fired a barrage of gunshots at I.S. and L.P., killing I.S. The bullet that killed I.S. struck her in the back as she ran away from her front door for help. L.P. was struck several times but survived. L.P. collapsed on the ground and watched her daughter die.

The evidence showed the murder was orchestrated by White, the man who had sexually assaulted her, and who had left the state prior to her murder to give himself an alibi. His cousin, Robinson, committed the murder for $6,000.

The Hernando County Sheriff's Office, working alongside the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) immediately began investigating the case. After more than 70 federal and state search warrants, investigators obtained a step-by-step blueprint for how Robinson killed I.S., including the individuals that he had recruited to help him carry it out. Six months after I.S.'s murder, and as the investigation was unfolding, detectives from the Hernando County Sheriff's Office and ATF agents executed a second search warrant in Robinson's home. Buried in a wooded area behind his home, investigators recovered the gun Robinson used to murder I.S.

As the investigation continued, White and Robinson repeatedly attempted to hinder the investigation by disposing of evidence, tampering with witnesses, obstructing justice, and making false statements to law enforcement. The two also discussed plans of having another witness against them killed.

A third defendant, Keshawn Woods, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the murder of I.S. On January 13, 2026, Woods was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison.

This case was investigated by the Hernando County Sheriff's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with substantial assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney's Office for the Fifth Judicial Circuit. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diego F. Novaes and Samantha Newman.

United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida published this content on March 16, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 16, 2026 at 20:36 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]