HOA Nut House

Records, statements show drug deal behind slaying in gated community

By Aisling Swift

They’d set up a drug deal and planned to steal a half-pound of marijuana that night in April. But in the end, the alleged mastermind was dead and the dealer who stabbed him wasn’t charged with his killing.

It was self-defense.

Instead, the two others who authorities say plotted the robbery face charges of second-degree felony murder and attempted armed robbery in the death of 19-year-old Jonathan “John” Longuil of 1462 Bembury Drive in Naples.

What’s unusual is that the April 16 slaying occurred in a gated community in North Naples, all involved came from middle- to upper-class families, and it involved the death of a friend.

On Thursday, Collier Circuit Judge Fred Hardt set bond at $100,000 for a second-degree murder charge for Benjamin M. Roberts, 18, of 720 Hidden Harbour Drive, and $15,000 for attempted armed robbery after his defense attorney, David Brener, asked that bond be set.

Assistant State Attorney Mike Provost agreed he was entitled to bond.

Hours later, at 8 p.m., Roberts posted bond and walked out of the jail.

Brener had appealed the lack of bond to the 2nd District Court of Appeal. Collier County Judge Mike Carr on Aug. 16 ordered that Roberts be held on no bond, changing a decision by Circuit Judge Elizabeth Krier, who had increased it to $250,000 on the murder charge from the original $25,000 when he was arrested, but left alone the $15,000 set for the other charge.

Brener had argued that the co-defendant, Mitchell G. Mahon, 17, 555 Nottingham Drive in Victoria Park, had bond set at $50,000, and that the State Attorney’s Office had charged the wrong people. He also noted that his client had ties to the community and that his father was a longtime teacher and his mother is a therapist.

Charles Piper Krueger IV, of Long Island, N.Y., who wielded the knife, was only charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell and possession and/or use of drug paraphernalia. Like Mahon, he is free on $50,000 bond.

“He’s not being charged in the homicide,” Provost said Friday. “He was attacked by Mr. Longuil in the back seat of a car. At the time, he was being choked and had a knife.”

Longuil was killed at about 12:10 a.m. in the driveway of Krueger’s father’s home at 10043 Boca Ave. S., in the Boca Palms community during a deal that started shortly before midnight. Collier County sheriff’s deputies and court records gave the following account:

Roberts made several calls to Krueger and arranged to purchase marijuana. A day before the deal, Longuil hatched a plan to steal the marijuana and told Mahon and Roberts about the plan. Mahon was to drive and Roberts agreed to help Longuil if he needed aid.

Two other Naples residents, Keith Hewitt Ellis, 1450 Bembury Drive, and Chelse Loftus,1053 Milano Drive, heard them plan the robbery.

Mahon drove to Krueger’s dad’s home and Krueger got inside the car for the deal. That’s when the fight broke out and Krueger defended himself with a knife. A shocked Mahon drove his friend to the hospital with Roberts, but Longuil was pronounced dead.

Krueger has a long criminal record that includes burglary and drug charges and graduated from the drug court program last year. Roberts has no felony adult record, but testimony at his hearing before Carr showed he has been arrested twice on marijuana charges and was a suspect in an aggravated assault with great bodily injury.

Mahon doesn’t have a record and Longuil’s record only involved a cigarette charge for being under age 18 that he paid a fine for, along with a domestic violence battery charge involving his estranged wife that was dropped.

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