Tennessee State Senator, Katrina Robinson is facing up to twenty years in a federal penitentiary. The Democratic Representative of TN district 33, the Memphis area has been accused of theft, embezzlement involving government funds, and wire fraud. Wire fraud is fraud committed exclusively through the use of a telephone, internet, fax, or other interstate communication methods. The entire investigation began in 2016 when an anonymous complaint was filed against Senator Robinson. The unnamed person who filed the grievance told authorities that Robinson, who was not yet in office at the time, had used grant money issued by the US government for personal spending. The over $2.2 million in grant money had been issued by the US Department of Health and Human Services to be used by The Healthcare Institute. The job training facility for men and women in the wellness and healthcare industries was founded in 2015 by Katrina Robinson who is still the director today. The facility began with only two attending students and now provides training and resources to more than 600 healthcare workers. Outside of her activities as a state representative, Robinson is a nurse and is said to spend a great deal of time out-of-state, fighting COVID 19 on the front lines.
In August 2018, Robinson was elected as State Senator to represent District 33 in Washington DC. She assumed office in November of the same year. She was assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Energy, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Committee from 2019 to the end of her term in office in 2022. She had previously been assigned to the TACIR (Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations) during 2019 and 2020 but was not reassigned to the detail in 2021. In February 2021, Federal agents gained access to Senator Robinson’s residence through the issuing of a search warrant. Just at the end of July, Senator Robinson’s court records were released stating the charges against her: theft, embezzlement, and wire fraud. Allegedly, Senator Robinson had kept roughly $600.000 out of the $2.2 million awarded to The Healthcare Institute. The allegations against her proclaim that the senator used the supposedly embezzled money to fund the wedding of her dreams and the high class lifestyle she had always wanted.
Senator Robinson maintains her declaration of innocence in the matter and says she plans to serve with the “integrity” and “passion” that she has always displayed. Defense attorney, Janika White is representing Senator Robinson in the case. She was quoted stating “Ms. Robinson denies that there was anything wrong or illegal with the transaction…” Robinson is assumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. However, regardless of the outcome in curt, it’s highly unlikely that Senator Robinson will be able to maintain her seat as a Tennessee State Senator, because of the case against her. The people of the US do not take these charges lightly when a government official is the alleged offender.
