Federal officials say the sentencing closes a case involving a conspiracy targeting a teenage girl who reported a sexual assault to police.

TAMPA, Fla. — Two men were sentenced to consecutive life terms, plus 100 years for the 2023 murder of a 17-year-old high school student in Brooksville, as announced by the Department of Justice. This case involved a murder-for-hire scheme.

Lenard White, 38, and Sheldon Robinson, 22, were each sentenced for the case, U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe, of the Middle District of Florida said. 

While the sentencing was for Robinson and White, Keshawn Williams previously pleaded guilty to his role in the murder and was sentenced on Jan. 13 to 17 years in federal prison. 

Evidence presented during the trial, the DOJ says, argued that on Feb. 6, 2023, the 17-year-old, along with her mother and a schoolmate, filed a sexual assault report with deputies at Hernando County. The next day, Robinson went to her house, where he shot and killed her, and injured the mother, who was shot several times, but survived and saw 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 DOJ said.

The DOJ also said that White and Robinson tried to hinder the investigation by getting rid of evidence, tampering with witnesses and making false statements to police, among other actions.

Hernando County deputies worked with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives during this case. As the DOJ notes, they executed over 70 federal and state search warrants, which helped investigators obtain a “step-by-step blueprint of how Robinson killed” the teenager.

After six months, the DOJ says, detectives with Hernando County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF executed a warrant at Robinson’s house, where they found and recovered the gun used in the murder.

The DOJ detailed that White and Robinson were found guilty of all charges by a federal jury on Oct. 29, which included conspiracy to commit murder for hire, murder for hire, premeditated first-degree murder and obstruction of justice, among others.

Robinson’s mother, Janet Williams, was charged in 2023 of making false statements to the ATF, authorities said at the time.