Feds Charge Tennessee State Sen. Katrina Robinson with Theft and Embezzlement

 

Federal authorities on Wednesday charged Tennessee state Sen. Katrina Robinson (D-Memphis) with theft and embezzlement involving government programs and wire fraud.

This, according to a press release that members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee published on its website.

Robinson directs the Memphis-based Healthcare Institute (THI), which trains and educates people in the healthcare field.

“Between 2015 and 2019, The Healthcare Institute received over $2.2 million in federal grants from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. During that same time period, Robinson stole in excess of $600,000 from THI by compensating herself in excess of what was allowed under the terms of the HRSA grant and by using Institute funds for payments and purchases for her own personal benefit and that of her immediate family,” according to the press release.

“Payments and purchases included a vehicle for her daughter; clothing, accessories, and hair and beauty products; expenses related to her wedding and honeymoon, and later, legal fees for her divorce; payments on her personal debts, including credit cards, store charge cards, student loans, and other personal loans; travel and entertainment for herself and her family; improvements to her personal residence; expenses related to a body aesthetics business she owned and a snow cone business operated by her children; and an event for her State Senate campaign.”

A member of Robinson’s staff told The Tennessee Star Wednesday that a member of her legal team would contact us. No one did.

Robinson posted a press conference on her Facebook page Wednesday. There, an unidentified woman said Robinson was cooperating with authorities and is eager to share her side of the story.

The THI website, meanwhile, said the school launched in July 2015.

“The program garnered the support of the US Department of Health and Human services, securing $1.6M for the funding of its Educate to Empower program – a dual focus program to educate more Certified Nursing Assistants for entry into the geriatric workforce and to provide community education to the geriatric population of Shelby County, TN,” the website said.

The website also said Robinson secured this federal grant “with no formal training or education in grant writing.”

This funding, the website went on to say, also offers scholarships.

Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General investigated Robinson, the press release said.

“If convicted, Robinson faces a possible sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, 3 years supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. There is no parole in the federal system,” according to the press release.

“The case will be presented to a federal grand jury at a later date to consider an indictment against the defendant.”

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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Katrina Robinson” by Katrina Robinson.