The trial on the federal charges is scheduled to begin on Aug. 30 and is expected to run for at least a week, according to Mike Bladel, the law enforcement coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Iowa.
According to the indictment, Robinson and his girlfriend, Stephenie Hodge, worked with a loan officer at Iowa-based Community State Bank to take out nearly $1.4 million in loans “by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises.” The money was allegedly meant to help finance the development of a Jamaican luxury vacation resort to be known as Harmony Cove.
The case stems from a September 2009 arrest by the FBI. After an interview with Robinson’s adopted brother, Donald Barrows, the Miami New Times in October reported that Robinson is a bankrupt “strip club addict” who was forced to give up a life of pricey collection cars, motorcycles, a $10,000 M16 machine gun and nights of spending up to $20,000 a night on exotic dancers.