P
rosecutors have charged George Pino, a prominent Miami real estate figure, with felony homicide in connection with a Labor Day 2022 boating crash that killed a 17-year-old girl. The incident occurred when Pino's boat collided with a channel marker off Boca Chita, throwing him and several others into the water. Initially, Pino faced three misdemeanor charges of careless boating, but these were dropped after prosecutors obtained new evidence.

    A witness, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue firefighter Matthew Smiley, reported that Pino showed signs of intoxication shortly after the crash. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's report initially suggested that a larger boat's wake caused Pino to lose control, but GPS data from his vessel contradicts this account. The data shows that Pino's boat was heading straight for the marker at the time of impact.

    The crash resulted in the death of 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez and left 18-year-old Katy Puig permanently disabled. If convicted on the new felony charge, Pino faces up to 15 years in prison.