Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: #BecauseMiami: Booze, Lies & Videotapes

Date: August 22, 2025
Recording Location: The Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

Main Theme / Episode Overview

This #BecauseMiami episode tackles the George Pino boating tragedy, a case that has rocked Miami’s elite and exposed troubling flaws in its criminal justice system. Dan Le Batard and his team—joined by Miami criminal defense attorney Joel Dinaro—explore the crash that killed 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez, the subsequent botched investigation by Florida authorities, questions of privilege and misconduct, and recent felony manslaughter charges. The conversation dives into the case’s tangled web involving coverups, deleted evidence, Miami’s “friends and family plan,” and the fight for justice led by victims’ families.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Crash and Immediate Aftermath

• Incident Details: In September 2022, George Pino, a Miami real estate mogul, crashed his boat into a channel marker near Boca Chita Key with his daughter and 11 other senior girls from Lourdes Academy on board. Lucy Fernandez was killed; Kati Wiig suffered permanent injuries.
• Early Reports: Initial news claimed another boat’s wake caused the crash and then allegedly fled the scene, shifting blame away from Pino.
• Emotional Impact: The event devastated multiple families and Miami’s elite Catholic school community.

  “...when the news alert came across my phone and it said that my friend's daughter Lucy may have died... the report also said that there was another boat involved...” – Joel Dinaro [04:03]

2. Disputed Investigation: FWC’s Role and Failures

• FWC Involvement: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), generally known for “game warden” duties, led the investigation, not city or county police.
• Conflicting Accounts: After eight months, FWC's report concluded there was no other boat—contradicting initial public narratives and Pino’s repeated claims.
• Critical Evidence:
  • Alien Smuggling Camera: Surveillance at channel marker 14 disproved the “phantom boat” story.
  • GPS Data: Boat’s navigation logs showed a direct collision with no evasive maneuvers.

  “There was a camera affixed to channel marker 14... and when they checked the camera, there was no evidence of any other boat.” – Joel Dinaro [07:21]

3. Booze, Minors, and Omitted Evidence

• Alcohol on Board: Despite FWC’s conclusion of “no alcohol involved,” 61 empty containers and liquor bottles were found on the boat. Pino admitted on police body cam to having “two beers.”
• Underage Drinking: Teen victim Katerina Puig’s blood alcohol measured 0.14 four hours post-crash (nearly twice the legal limit for adults).

  “Investigators did not believe alcohol was a factor despite finding 61 empty alcoholic bottles and cans on board... Pino…admits to drinking.” – Host [11:05] “In [the] body cam footage... he is admitting to having two beers, appears nowhere in the FWC report.” – Joel Dinaro [12:44]

• Blood Tests Not Drawn: Despite probable cause, police neither compelled nor collected a blood sample from Pino, violating FWC's own policy in fatal accidents.

  “Their own FWC policy is death or great bodily injury, you draw blood. It’s not an option.” – Joel Dinaro [17:55]

4. Missing and Deleted Evidence

• Body Cam Footage:
  • Video from at least four (later “five” per Dinaro) on-scene FWC officers was deleted or mislabeled as “incidental,” causing its deletion due to retention policy.
  • Surveillance footage from the key channel marker camera also disappeared.

  “There is at least... four body cams from four different FWC officers on the scene that were deleted... Five, actually... All of the footage from the alien smuggling camera... missing.” – Host, then Dinaro [19:32] “Where is this evidence going in this homicide investigation?” – Host [20:16]

5. Alleged Corruption, Privilege & the “Friends and Family Plan”

• Questionable Motives: FWC officers failed to document key observations (e.g., Pino’s impairment) or actively omitted them from reports, leading to speculation around incompetence or deliberate coverup to protect a wealthy, well-connected defendant.

  “I don’t think that FWC did a proper investigation... Once they decided not to draw blood, we’ll never really know if [Pino] was under the influence or not.” – Joel Dinaro [20:40]

• Public Outcry: The victim’s family wanted only “the truth,” but Pino publicly blamed the phantom boat, even in legal documents.

6. Recent Developments: Upgraded Charges & New Legislation

• Manslaughter Charge: Recent depositions from the teenage girls revealed pre-existing open alcohol on board and heavy drinking, leading prosecutors to upgrade charges to manslaughter.

  “But my understanding is... another young lady... admitted to having... beer on the boat when she got on Mr Pino’s boat...” – Joel Dinaro [24:27]

• Victim’s Blood Alcohol: Lucy Fernandez herself had a BAC of 0.000 at her death.
• "Lucy's Law”: As a result of her death and the subsequent advocacy work of her family, new state legislation aims to improve boating safety and accountability.

  “There’s a new state law... Lucy’s Law, ensuring that her death... will protect others in the future.” – Joel Dinaro [25:58]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the cover-up and privilege:

  “This so-called investigation appears to be either the work of pure incompetence or utter and total corruption in what we know in Miami as the friends and family plan.” – Host [01:48]

• On missing evidence:

  “As it turns out... four body cams... were deleted. Okay. One. Joel. Oopsie Daisy. Two... Three, four. I mean, what is happening here?” – Host [19:32]

• On public trust and justice:

  “We owe it to the public. And they took his blood. And I don’t think there was any indication of impairment.” – Joel Dinaro, referencing the Coast Guard’s response in another case [17:55]

• On family’s pursuit:

  “We’ve never asked for George Pino to be charged with a felony... [the family] only wanted the truth.” – Joel Dinaro [20:40]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:00–01:48] – Introduction to the Pino boating tragedy: facts, timeline, and community impact.
• [04:03–05:57] – Attorney Joel Dinaro explains his relationship to the Fernandez family and early confusion around the case.
• [07:21–08:02] – Evidence from GPS and surveillance disproves the “phantom boat” claim.
• [11:05–14:25] – Alcohol’s role, FWC’s contradictory findings, and underage drinking.
• [15:03–17:55] – Police failures, missing probable cause, and investigative norms.
• [19:32–20:16] – Bodycam and camera evidence deletion; implications of lost/destroyed video.
• [20:40–24:14] – Dinaro on state attorney’s limitations post-FWC report, and the family’s motivations.
• [24:14–25:58] – Recent charge upgrades, new testimony, and “Lucy’s Law.”

Tone & Language

The conversation maintains the Le Batard show’s characteristic mix of irreverence, outrage, and empathy. Hosts pull no punches when calling out failures, corruption, or privilege, and Dinaro’s legal insight provides grit and context to the victims’ and public’s frustration. The language is honest and at times incredulous, yet respectful of the families’ suffering.

Conclusion

This episode is a deep dive into a Miami tragedy that reveals systemic cracks in law enforcement and prosecutorial procedure, raising questions of privilege and accountability, and the battle for the truth and justice by those left behind. Its detailed recounting—from missing evidence to legislative aftermath—serves both as an exposé and a tribute to the work still needed to ensure such tragedies receive the investigation and remediation they deserve.