According to various news reports, earlier this week, Tennessee State Senator Katrina Robinson was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly embezzling $600,000 in federal funds from a healthcare institute she operated. According to a criminal complaint filed by a Memphis U.S. Attorney, Ms. Robinson improperly spent federal funds on numerous personal things, including a wedding, a divorce, and a vacation.
As a former federal prosecutor in Augusta, Georgia, I once handled many prosecutions like this one involving embezzlement of government funds. One oddity I would note about this case is that, generally, when I prosecuted, I didn't first obtain a complaint and then indict. I simply obtained an indictment. In this case, it appears the prosecutor filed a complaint first, and then obtained an indictment. Was this done in order to get juicy details about the facts of the case out into the public arena? Maybe not.
Of course, every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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