A judge has denied the petition by Melissa Oden to administer the estate of Tyrique Robinson, the school-board trustee-elect who committed suicide shortly after he was elected in 2022. But Richmond County Probate Judge Harry James also determined Robinson’s family members had improperly taken possession of a van belonging to Oden.
Robinson became the youngest person ever elected to Richmond County Board of Education in November 2022 to represent District 6. But within a few days, Oden, his former mentor and business partner, came forward with allegations he had mishandled her credit card – including to run campaign billboard ads – as a van she purchased for a transportation business she started with him.
While she’d suspected problems for a few months, Oden went to the media with the reports after he was elected unopposed. She said Robinson should step down, so former Augusta commissioner Ben Hasan, whom she previously asked not to run, could be appointed to the seat.
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Robinson publicly claimed the pair was trying to manipulate him through the allegations, but one week later, was found dead from a gunshot wound at the Alexander Drive apartment where he lived.
He died without a will and left behind two children, including an infant son whose mother died in a car wreck last year.
The 20-year-old had served in the military and made a strong impression on a lot of people, who called him a rising political star with issues unknown to them. Augusta Commissioner Jordan Johnson called his death a sign of the “blood sport” to which local politics can descend.
Determined to get her money and property back, Oden had attorney Randy Frails file a petition last year for her to administer his estate. It’s uncommon, but not unheard of for a creditor to be made administrator when someone dies without a will and has no relatives or heirs, James said at the time.
Robinson’s two parents, both of whom are living, objected and applied to administer his estate instead of Oden.
James issued the order last week after a hearing. He denied both applications and appointed a third-party administratrix, attorney Sincerai Stallings, due animosity between the parties and conflicts of interest.
Based on the evidence and testimony, James’ determinations did not stop there, according to the order.
He found that Oden, a wealthy businesswoman, and Robinson had been partners in a business called Dream Transportation LLC “for a short period of time,” and that Robinson at one point owned 20% of the company.
The arrangement did not last, however, and Robinson gave up his shares and remained an employee of Oden, James found.
Three months before the election, Oden had wired $50,000 to Robinson to buy a 2015 Mercedes Sprinter van, the judge said. When he died, Robinson’s parents took possession of the van and have had it ever since.
James said the van should be immediately returned to Oden.
He also determined that Robinson had “embezzled” about $23,000 from Oden by “falsifying invoices” and using her credit card to buy personal items, making Oden an actual creditor of his estate.
It’s not clear what all the purchases were, but they included gasoline, mounting a TV, airline tickets and the billboards, placed on Peach Orchard Road prior to candidate qualifying in August 2022.
Susan McCord is a staff writer with The Augusta Press. Reach her at susan@theaugustapress.com
