Judge sentences Jaileen Pagan to 50 years in prison for vehicular homicide and other charges

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Judge James Colaw has sentenced Jaileen Damaris Pagan, 27, to 50 years in state prison following her conviction in a jury trial on charges of vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of a crash involving death, and driving without a valid license in connection with the death of Garry Pugh in a Butler Plaza parking lot on September 15, 2023. She was sentenced to an additional five years (served concurrently) in two separate cases of drug possession and fleeing, and she is still facing a jury trial on charges of shooting at two people in June 2023.

Pagan was arrested for vehicular homicide after the Gainesville Police Department circulated a picture of the car that was suspected of hitting Pugh; a Loss Prevention Officer at Walmart had just made a note of the tag in connection with two people who allegedly took a number of items without paying and drove away after he confronted them, and the vehicle was later found to be owned by Pagan.

Pagan was convicted on all three of the charges by a jury on July 31.

During the sentencing phase, several people submitted letters of support, asking the judge for leniency due to the circumstances of her life, which included caring for a disabled brother when she was growing up and recent drug addiction. Pagan’s mother wrote that Pagan is “a good person who would not hurt anyone.” She concluded, “I pray the actual truth will come out one day but that doesn’t always happen, so I ask for leniency and a chance for rehabilitation so she may one day be a good member of society.”

A letter from Pagan to the judge stated that she had never been in trouble with the law before 2023 and that she planned to “continue to fight for my freedom and for the truth to come out because I didn’t commit this crime. But I know soon enough everything will come to light. Unfortunately someone lost their life and that saddens me but justice was not served.”

Colaw sentenced Pagan to 60 days in jail with credit for 60 days served for driving without a valid license, followed by 30 years in state prison for leaving the scene of an accident involving death and then 15 years in state prison for vehicular homicide.

Pagan was also ordered to pay $5,900 in restitution to Althea Pugh of Orlando.

In a separate case on the same date, Judge Colaw sentenced Pagan to two additional five-year sentences for drug possession and for fleeing a traffic stop about 10 days before the vehicular homicide; those two sentences will be served concurrently after the 45-year sentence. Pagan had previously entered an open plea of nolo contendere in both of those cases.

Pagan is currently scheduled for a jury trial in the week of October 21 for allegedly shooting at two people in June 2023.