TAMPA, FL – Janet Williams, 44, of Brooksville, Florida, has confessed to deliberately misleading federal investigators regarding a chilling detail in her son’s alleged crime: the payment for a murder. United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today that Williams pleaded guilty to three counts of making false statements to federal agents, each carrying a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date remains to be set, but the weight of her deception is already apparent.
The case stems from the February 8, 2023, arrest of Williams’s son, Sheldon Robinson, in connection with the brutal murder of I.S., a 17-year-old student at a Hernando County high school. Following Robinson’s arrest, Williams discovered approximately $6,000 hidden within her own residence – cash investigators believe was the payment for carrying out the murder of I.S. This wasn’t just pocket change; it was blood money, and Williams knew it.
On August 9, 2023, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and detectives with the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office questioned Williams. She repeatedly and vehemently denied finding any of Robinson’s money on her property. But the lies didn’t stop there. A recorded jailhouse phone call on August 17, 2023, revealed Williams warning Robinson about the federal investigation. “Feds came to the house. They took over the case,” she told him. Then, in a particularly damning admission, she stated, “They were asking me…did you come into a whole bunch of money? I said No. But, you did come into a whole bunch of money.”
The deception continued even as federal agents executed a search warrant at Williams’s home on September 20, 2023. Again, she insisted she hadn’t found any money belonging to Robinson. She also claimed to have no knowledge of him possessing a firearm. However, a simultaneous search of her cellphone painted a drastically different picture. The device contained numerous photographs depicting Robinson routinely handling firearms, frequently inside her residence. The evidence was stacking up, and Williams’s carefully constructed facade was crumbling.
While Williams now faces the consequences of her actions, her son, Sheldon Robinson, remains in custody, pending trial for his alleged role in the murder of I.S. This case highlights not only a horrific act of violence but also the lengths to which a mother will go to protect her child, even if it means obstructing a federal investigation and potentially jeopardizing justice for a murdered teenager. The investigation was a joint effort by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF, with support from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney’s Office (Fifth Judicial Circuit).
Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes is prosecuting the case, and is expected to build a strong case against Williams based on her repeated falsehoods and the overwhelming evidence recovered. Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on any further developments as they unfold. The question now is whether Williams’s attempts to shield her son will ultimately result in a longer sentence for herself.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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