A Tennesse state senator has federal prosecutors on her tail after being accused of stealing nearly $600,000 of taxpayer dollars. That $600,000 was given to the government on behalf of hard-working American families. Katrina Robinson, the state senator, accused of stealing from hard-working American families, was formally charged with embezzling funds and theft from a government sponsored program. She was also charged for wire fraud on Wednesday after it was revealed that she had used money inappropriately. This money was received through a company that Robinson directed. Instead of funneling that money back to the company which deserved it, she instead stole the money and tried to spend a whopping $600,000 on a wedding.
In a news release, U.S. Attorney Michael Dunavant suggests that Robinson would have to pay for her crimes if convicted. Although not clear, that payment could include paying back the full sum of the $600,000 plus damages, court fees, and jail time amounting from simple probation to several years in federal prison. Either way, justice cannot act swiftly enough in this case. Robinson also held a position as the director for a Healthcare center in Memphis, trying to help students seek out jobs in the medical field.
The healthcare center that Robinson oversaw was a school which received $2.2 million in federal funding. This money was given through the Department of Health and Human Services, which is no run by Alex Azar, who has recently become under intense scrutiny.
According to documents filed with the courts, the charges suggest that Robinson stole the $600,000 between 2015 and 2019 to pay for her dream wedding. She noticed the upsurge in cash pouring in and thought no one would notice a whopping $600,000 go missing. She used the money to upgrade her wedding and honeymoon. However, it didn’t stop there. The Democrat serving the Memphis district also used the federal money to purchase a new vehicle for her youngest daughter. She then spent a lot of money on presents and other things for her family and friends and went as far as using some of the stolen money to fund her next state senate campaign.
Even more troubling was that Robinson also used the same money for divorce proceedings for the man she married. So, she used the stolen money to pay for a wedding that would only end in divorce a few years later. In February of this year, the FBI obtained and executed a search warrant for Robinsons’ home. So far, the FBI has not indicated what they found at home.
Although Robinson is innocent until proven guilty, the evidence of her misuse of federal funds is quite clear. She could face a total of two decades behind bars. Robinson is also up for reelection in 2022, which means her seat will be up for grabs since she certainly won’t be running again.
