BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A Brevard County man arrested this week, accused of first-degree murder in the January 2021 overdose death of a victim who investigators said he sold fentanyl to, is being held without bond this time around, according to Sheriff Wayne Ivey.
Lonnie Robinson, 52, was brought to court in February and March 2021 on charges of trafficking in fentanyl and two counts each concerning the sale and possession of the drug, records show. He was released on bond by March 29 of that year, awaiting a relevant trial date in May of this year, according to booking and court records.
In a video posted Tuesday night to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, Ivey described the latest developments in the state’s case against Robinson, announcing the new murder charge as a breakthrough.
“They made an acquaintance with each other,” said Ivey, outlining the history of the case as it starts with the 2021 overdose death. “The victim in this case asked Robinson did he know where he could get any cocaine or any heroin. Robinson told him that he did, that he could get him any amount he wanted. They discussed it. They went back and forth by telephone and text and as things progressed, the victim was adamant: ‘I want cocaine or heroin.’ Lonnie Robinson delivered fentanyl to our victim and the victim took the fentanyl believing that it was heroin and overdosed taking the amount.”
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It took time to retrieve those telephone records via search warrants and to conduct interviews, Ivey said, the effort so far culminating in Robinson’s arrest Tuesday.
With Robinson now behind bars, Ivey said that he couldn’t hurt anyone else, yet also cautioned that people addicted to opiates and other commonly street-sourced drugs should consult family, friends and even the sheriff’s office for help.
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“Lonnie Robinson knew what he was doing. He made the money off the transaction and didn’t care anything about this individual’s life, anything about what was going to happen to this individual. Well he cares now, he’s sitting in the Brevard County Jail on no bond, the feds I’m sure will violate his probation on this charge and he will be put someplace where he can never add to someone’s addiction again, never benefit off the greed of someone else’s addiction,” Ivey said.
While Robinson is behind bars, Sheriff Ivey warned that other drug dealers are selling fentanyl on the streets right now.
Days earlier at the county jail, another suspect in a fentanyl overdose faced a judge.
Tiffani Hernandez, 33, is facing a manslaughter charge for the death of her mother. She’s now out on bond.
The state attorney’s office said in the last year, two other Brevard County defendants were indicted on murder charges due to the overdose deaths.
A statement read, “For years, selling or delivering drugs that resulted in an overdose death meant little or no criminal accountability. Now, thanks to the partnership between our office and law enforcement, dealers and suppliers are being charged and convicted for their role in these tragic deaths.”
See the sheriff’s video in the media player below.
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