MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Embattled Tennessee State Senator Katrina Robinson appeared before a federal judge with attorneys Friday. She’s accused of stealing more than $600,000 in federal grant money after she started The Healthcare Institute, a certified nursing school, back in 2015.
The government said that money was supposed to be spent on the school, but instead was spent on clothes, Grizzlies tickets, trips and even paying for her wedding and then divorce.
WREG was not allowed to record what went on, but the hearing was all about preparing for the upcoming September trial. One of the biggest issues is the tens of thousands of documents involved — documents like applications and receipts.
The defense told the judge the documents they had received so far were, “Jumbled at a minimum” a “tremendous problem” and “incomplete.”
Prosecutors explained they communicated with Robinson’s attorneys about a cataloging process and the judge said to provide the needed documents as they were processed. The judge made it clear she did not want a lag in information to delay the scheduled Sept. 13 trial.
WREG obtained the 2015 federal grant application Robinson filed, which shows planned high-profile partnerships and promises the school would help the community.
In part of the application, Robinson said her school was needed because, “The problem is the elderly population is growing so rapidly that the healthcare industry in Tennessee is not able to keep up with the growth in terms of providing the manpower to care for them.”
She requested more than $1.4 million of funding for three years for supplies and other costs. In addition, she also asked for more than $274,000 to help with funding for Alzheimer’s education. That’s a total of nearly $1.7 million over three years.
Salaries of four employees, including Robinson’s, are included in those numbers. How much everyone made individually was redacted, but the total was more than $664,000.
The grant also included six letters from various organizations pledging their support to partner with Robinson and the school’s endeavors. They included Dr. Perisco Wofford, Frayser Community Schools, First Choice Community Services, New Direction Christian Church, Brown Missionary Baptist Church and the Counseling Clinic.
WREG reached out to each organization to see if they had any comment about Robinson’s charges and their role in the school.
The founder of First Choice Community Services said they had “no comment” and were “praying for her.”
New Direction Christian Church said they did not receive any funds from the program and the level of involvement rested at potentially providing space for graduations of the school.
Brown Missionary Baptist Church said they determined the partnership wouldn’t be in the church’s best interest and concluded communication with Robinson in August 2015 without receiving funds from her or her organization at any point during their talks.
Frayser Community Schools said it has never worked with The Healthcare Institute. A representative said there may have been talks of doing so back in 2015 when their first school was preparing to open, but they never moved forward with the venture.
The next court date is set for May 14.
Robinson and two other women are also facing separate fraud charges involving the school and a student’s tuition.
Robinson’s attorney sent WREG a statement late Friday evening, saying in part, “THI has trained over 800 healthcare professionals since its inception and met the objectives that were set forth in the grant project.”
Full statement from Robinson’s attorney:
THI has trained over 800 healthcare professionals since its inception and met the objectives that were set forth in the grant project. It provided community based patient education, health screenings and regular job fairs connecting both alumni and community with employers leading to hundreds of placements.
The practical nursing program is thriving and proves THI’s commitment to quality education by boasting a 100% nursing licensure exam pass rate.
The CNA and phlebotomy programs set the pace for the expectation of high quality healthcare professionals as evidenced by employers who seek out graduates. The Healthcare Institute continues its operation today, offering programs for certified nursing assistant, phlebotomy, and practical nursing.
The staff of experienced nurse instructors are dedicated to student success, even in the face of adversity and opposition. THI’s most recent graduation in 2020 celebrated 90 graduates across all programs.
The school is authorized by The Tennessee Higher Education Commission and licensed by the TN Board of Health and Board of Nursing.
