Three sentenced for 2005 murder
Dad and friend get life; daughter gets 30 years
Richard Rojas was murdered twice, his father told a Broward judge Friday.
The first time was10 years ago, when he was lured to his ex-girlfriend’s house and shot to death by a friend of her father, who was waiting for him. And the second time was in May, during the trial of Christin Bilotti, her father Michael Bilotti, and his friend John Pacchiana.
Broward Circuit Judge Jeffrey R. Levenson sentenced Michael Bilotti and Pacchiana to life in prison on a first-degree murder charge and 30 years for a conspiracy charge. Christin Bilotti, 17 at the time of the shooting and convicted of second-degree murder, was given a 30-year prison sentence.
Like the other defendants, Christin Bilotti could have been sentenced to life, but the sentence was not mandatory and federal law required the judge to take her age and potential for rehabilitation into consideration.
Levenson rejected defense lawyer David Bogenschutz’s plea for leniency, which would have resulted in a much lighter sen-
tence. But as the judge handed down the sentence, he noted that Rojas, 18, would still be alive if not for her actions.
Rojas was Christin Bilotti’s ex-boyfriend. On the night leading up to the murder, she told a friend and her parents that Rojas had raped her, which infuriated her father and, according to prosecutors and the jury, instigated a plan to lure Rojas to her home so Pacchiana could kill him.
Prosecutors said the rape never took place, and Christin Bilotti did nothing to dissuade her father from exacting revenge on Rojas.
Rojas showed up at the Davie home at about 1:30 a.m. on July 13, 2005, expecting to see Christin Bilotti or fight with her friend, Julio “Eddie” Arce, who had taunted him in a phone call a short time earlier. Arce testified for the prosecution and was never charged with a crime. He said he did not realize the plan was to kill Rojas when he goaded Rojas to fight him at the girl’s home.
Fred Haddad, who represents Michael Bilotti, and H. Dohn Williams, who represents Pacchiana, argued that their clients should not have been convicted of first-degree murder because evidence of premeditation at trial was insufficient.
“I did not plan nor did I direct the harm of Mr. Rojas,” Michael Bilotti told the judge Friday. “It’s a tragedy that that young man was
“I’m really sorry for what happened. ... I loved Richard. I never wanted him to die.” Christin Bilotti, speaking of ex-boyfriend Richard Rojas
killed.”
Pacchiana has always said he was being attacked by Rojas when he opened fire.
“I was in fear for my life. I was attacked. This was in self-defense and I’m innocent,” Pacchiana said.
Prosecutor Gregg Rossman disputed their arguments, and Levenson allowed their convictions to stand.
Christin Bilotti maintained her position that she was raped by Rojas the afternoon before the shooting.
“I’m really sorry for what happened. This was not my intention. I loved Richard. I never wanted him to die,” she said. “I did not make it up. Everything that happened was true.”
Henry Rojas, the victim’s father, asked the judge to sentence all three defendants to life in prison, but later said he was satisfied with a 30-year sentence for Christin Bilotti.
“What our family has been through the last 10 years, I would not wish on my worst enemy,” he said.