A Tennessee state senator has been accused of stealing more than $ 600,000 in federal grant money and using it to pay for campaign events and personal expenses, including her wedding, honeymoon and subsequent divorce, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Senator Katrina Robinson, 39, faces charges of theft and embezzlement involving government programs and wire fraud, according to a criminal complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee.
The money in question was intended to fund a nurse training program at a vocational school run by Ms. Robinson, but was instead diverted to increase her salary, help finance her other businesses, and pay personal expenses, among other things, according to an affidavit filed with the complaint.
In addition to serving as a state senator, Ms. Robinson, a 2018 Memphis Democrat who represents Shelby County, is the director of The Healthcare Institute, a for-profit university offering training programs for certified nursing assistants, Phlebotomists and licensed practical nursing. . Ms. Robinson, a registered nurse, founded the school in 2015, according to her website.
According to the complaint, the Healthcare Institute received more than $ 2.2 million in federal grants from the Health Resources and Services Administration, part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, from 2015 to 2019. The Healthcare Institute received the grant on condition that it would be used to train nursing assistants to care for geriatric patients and provide need-based scholarships for the program.
An investigation into Ms. Robinson began in 2016, when an anonymous complaint to the Department of Health and Human Services alleged that she had used $ 550 of the grant money to purchase a Louis Vuitton bag, according to the affidavit.
According to bank records, investigators found evidence that Ms. Robinson had been awarded a performance bonus of $ 25,400, paid herself more than her assigned salary, and transferred $ 54,000 to a retirement fund, according to documents from payment. The discrepancies amount to $ 169,134 more in salary than should have been paid under the grant terms, according to prosecutors.
“These expenses required prior consultation and approval by the Health Resources and Services Administration, none of which occurred,” the complaint said. “Furthermore, according to the representatives of the Health Resources and Services Administration, if the approval of these articles had been requested, it would not have been granted.”
Investigators discovered that the grant money had been transferred to a separate bank account, from which “legitimate expenses for THI’s operations were indiscriminately combined with personal expenses for the benefit of Robinson and his immediate family,” the complaint said. , referring to the Institute of Health.
Items listed in the complaint as purchased with grant money included a 2016 Jeep Renegade, purchased for Ms. Robinson’s daughter, clothing and beauty products, home furnishings, including a wrought iron front door. valued at over $ 5,000, and equipment and supplies for her children’s snow cone business, Kool Kidz Konez.
The money was also used to pay for Ms. Robinson and her family to travel to Jamaica, pay off their personal debt, and fund a state Senate campaign event, the complaint continued.
Health and Human Services began the investigation and were later joined by the FBI, who filed an affidavit with the criminal complaint.
“Protecting the US Treasury and federal grant programs against theft, fraud, waste and abuse is a top priority for this office and for the Department of Justice,” D said in a statement. Michael Dunavant, the US attorney for the Western District of Tennessee statement on Wednesday. “We commend the FBI and HHS-OIG for their diligent and thorough investigation in this case.”
Janika White, Ms. Robinson’s attorney, declined to comment on the details of the complaint, but noted that the claim was not an indictment.
“As for Senator Robinson, she is very strong,” said White. “She is a fighter and has been here doing what we all want people to do: step up and serve others. That is what she has been doing, and right now all she can do is stay on her record and hope that people allow the facts to unfold and that her story is told at the right time. “
The case is expected to be presented to a grand jury, the prosecution said.
If convicted of the charges, Ms. Robinson could face up to 20 years in prison and a $ 250,000 fine.
Adam Kleinheider, a spokesman for Lt. Governor Randy McNally, who is a Republican, said that due to “serious criminal charges,” Mr. McNally would ask the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate.
In a statement, the Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus said: “Senator Robinson’s work in the state legislature on behalf of her constituents is not in question here today.”
“Like any other American, Senator Robinson deserves the presumption of innocence and due process of law,” the statement said. “Your case must be resolved by a court of law, not by a court of public opinion.”
