State senator at center of FBI search
Feds target Robinson’s home, business
The FBI executed search warrants at the personal business and home of state Sen. Katrina Robinson Friday, a spokesman confirmed.
Federal agents targeted The Healthcare Institute, a for-profit college that provides nursing training, which Robinson founded. It also executed a warrant at a Whitehaven home owned by Robinson.
The FBI declined to comment on the investigation.
Robinson, 39, did not return a phone call or text message from The Commercial Appeal seeking comment. Robinson, a Democrat, represents Senate District 33, a district that comprises much of the Whitehaven and Parkway Village areas of Memphis.
Derrick Hodges, owner of the State Farm office next to The Healthcare In
stitute, said Robinson, D-memphis, had been a “model neighbor” for the last three to four years
“I had no reason to suspect anything,” Hodges said. He said it caught him off guard to see the FBI activity Friday morning.
Tevin Payne was nearby The Healthcare Institute on Friday morning when FBI activity was underway.
He described seeing people in FBI gear moving filing cabinets from inside The Healthcare Institute to white vans.
Toranio Bishop, master barber at the nearby Detroit Barbershop, said he saw what appeared to be FBI agents at 7 a.m.
“They came in like a parade,” Bishop said. He noticed several students arrive at the school and then immediately leave. At about 12:15 p.m., the doors to The Healthcare Institute were locked.
Another business owned by Robinson, Celebrity Body Studio, which sits in the same plaza, has been shuttered for about eight months, according to Bishop.
Boxes were visible inside Friday afternoon.
Brandon Puttbrese, spokesman for the Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus, said, “We’ve been made aware of the investigation and have received no indication that it relates to the legislature or her legislative service. Because the investigation is ongoing, we will not be making additional statements and will defer any further questions to Sen. Robinson’s attorney. Our thoughts are with Sen. Robinson and her family.”
Robinson’s legislative bio lists her as a registered nurse who received a nursing degree from Union University. She was a member of the Memphis Business Journal’s 40 under 40 class in 2017 and is a graduate of Leadership Memphis.
Commercial Appeal reporter Max Garland and Tennessean reporter Joel Ebert contributed to this story.
Laura Testino covers education and children’s issues for The Commercial Appeal. Reach her at laura.testino@commercialappeal.com.
Samuel Hardiman covers Memphis city government and politics for The Commercial Appeal. Reach him at samuel.hardiman@commercialappeal.com