Key Largo man gets prison for crossbow attack over vodka dispute

A vodka bottle in the trash helped trigger a Key Largo domestic dispute that ended with a crossbow fired at close range and a state prison sentence for George Henry Balboni.

Balboni, 61, entered a no contest plea to attempted first-degree premeditated murder and was adjudicated guilty by Circuit Court Judge James Morgan on April 22, 2026. He was sentenced to 78 months in the Florida Department of Corrections, with credit for 213 days already served, and ordered to pay $983 in fines and court costs.

Deputies said the confrontation began on Sept. 16, 2025, at a residence in the 700 block of Largo Road after the 69-year-old victim found a vodka bottle in Balboni’s trash. Investigators said the dispute simmered for two days before Balboni allegedly lured the victim into a vehicle by pretending there was a medical emergency. Once the man was inside, prosecutors said Balboni fired the crossbow at close range.

The victim survived after fighting back, suffering a minor cut near the ear and wrestling the crossbow away during the struggle. Deputies later said they found Balboni lying in the front yard, bleeding from the face, with arrows scattered nearby. According to investigators, Balboni told deputies he tried to kill the victim, whom he called a “parasite,” and said he had no remorse.

Monroe County Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield called the attack “a calculated and premeditated attempt to execute another person using a crossbow.” Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay said violence is never the answer to a roommate dispute and said Balboni should have separated himself from the situation instead.

The sentence closes a case that prosecutors used to underscore how quickly a domestic argument in the Florida Keys can turn life-threatening. Florida law treats attempted first-degree murder-related offenses as first-degree felonies, a classification that reflects the seriousness of a case built around a false medical plea, a hidden weapon and a victim who had to fight to survive.