State Sen. Katrina Robinson (D-Memphis), already in legal trouble for embezzlement and wire fraud charges, learned Monday that her legal problems have only intensified.
Federal officials have charged Robinson, 40, in a new case, along with two other co-defendants, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. This, according to a press release that officials with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee published on their website Tuesday.
Federal officials said the allegations against Robinson pertain to The Healthcare Institute, based in Memphis. Robinson directs the institute, which trains people in the healthcare field.
THI received more than $10,000 in federal funds each year between 2015 and 2019. During that period, Robinson allegedly stole, converted, and intentionally misapplied property of THI for her own use. Federal authorities indicted her last year, the press release said.
The charges in this new federal complaint arise from a completely separate fraud scheme. Robinson, Katie Ayers, and Brooke Boudreaux allegedly conspired to use THI to defraud a victim out of $14,470.00, the press release said.
The press release identified the victim by the initials R.S.
“As set forth in more detail in the complaint affidavit, while investigating the charges in the 2020 case, the FBI also uncovered a scheme in which the defendants convinced R.S. that Boudreaux, with whom he had an existing relationship, needed the money for tuition and expenses to attend THI,” according to the press release.
“R.S. agreed and tendered $14,470.00 to THI for that purpose. In fact, the investigation revealed that Boudreaux was never a student at THI, and the conspirators split the money among themselves for their personal benefit and unjust enrichment.”
If convicted, the defendants each face a possible sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison followed by three years supervised release. The federal system has no parole, the press release said.
Robinson did not address the accusations on her Facebook page Tuesday.
The THI website said the school launched in July 2015.
“The program garnered the support of the U.S. 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.”
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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.
So when is she going to get locked up?
A crooked Democrat Memphis politician. Gee, that’s odd.