The woman who financed the transport business and campaign of Richmond County’s youngest school board trustee-elect plans to file charges against him for unauthorized use of her credit card and is also calling for him to step down from his board position.
Tyrique Robinson, 20, was unopposed Nov. 8 to represent the District 6 seat on the Richmond County Board of Education. The seat’s incumbent, A.K. Hasan, was drawn out of the district by state lawmakers during redistricting.
Businesswoman Melissa Oden said she took Robinson, the godson of a friend, under her wing and financed his transportation business, Dream Transportation LLC. A few months later, however, Oden said she traced unknown charges on her credit card back to Robinson. He also bought a company van and placed it in his name, not that of the business, she said.
“I treated Tyrique like a family member. He called me auntie. I gave this little gentleman an opportunity that most individuals never get to get. I used $250,000 of my own money to start a trucking company for him, my son and my godson,” she said.
Robinson reported no campaign fundraising or spending. But despite being unopposed, he paid for two billboards using Oden’s card and posted photos of them on Facebook. Oden said calling a phone number listed on her credit card bill reached Azalea Outdoor, a billboard company, where a company representative told her Robinson made the charge.
In addition, Oden said Robinson used his mother’s address on campaign filings and resides in an Alexander Drive apartment complex, miles from District 6.
Robinson denies the claims. He said Oden and another candidate – Hasan’s brother, Ben Hasan – are using the claims to try to make him resign the seat so that Ben Hasan can have it.
“What it is, is someone trying to control me and wants that seat, and so therefore they’re going to start an accusation on me,” Robinson said. “They’re trying to make it seem as if the board of education would be in conflict with the business partners, and so it’s just a thing they’re trying, to make me look bad.”
Ben Hasan, currently the District 6 Augusta commissioner, was discussed as a successor to his brother as trustee on the school board. Oden said Friday she was the reason Hasan did not run.
“The only reason I asked (Robinson) to resign is because it was me who asked Ben Hasan not to run against him, because I wanted to help him as a young African-American in life,” Oden said.
Oden, who owns nursing home, hospice and transport businesses, said she is a businesswoman who travels often and who generally stays out of politics. She began the business for her son, godson and Robinson with the expectation that Robinson, who served in the military and has a commercial driver’s license, would run it.
She later advanced Robinson $50,000 to buy a transport van, which he then placed in his own name. Oden said she is still trying to sort that, as well as determine the extent of Robinson’s misuse of her cards. The charges include plane tickets and hotel rooms for Robinson and his friends, as well as charges for thousands of dollars based on phony invoices for truck repairs Robinson had created, she said.
Oden said she now knows she is not his first victim.
“I’m not holding anything over his head. What I do feel is, I’m ashamed and embarrassed that I put my name and reputation asking Mr. Hasan not to run against him so that this young man could win this race and be unopposed,” she said. “I’m hurt and very disappointed.”
Robinson inquired about resigning last week. He contacted the Richmond County Board of Elections seeking information about how to do it. Elections Executive Director Travis Doss said he referred Robinson to school officials for guidance.
Oden said she and her late husband have always helped young people, including with a program called KOOP – the Kids Overcoming Obstacles Program – but never to the extent she went with Robinson. Now, she is shocked by being personally attacked after she repeatedly asked him to admit to her what he did.
“My family has been affected. I allowed him to be a part of my family, and for him to steal and lie and then try to tarnish my reputation?” she said. “I’ve heard some vicious rumors, and it saddens me that someone who had no ulterior motive whatsoever but to help a young individual, but then get the blame or lies are being told about her because he did something wrong.”
School board candidates must swear an affidavit stating they have read and understand the code of ethics and conflict of interest provisions for school board members. The code of ethics prohibits members from taking private action “that will compromise the board or school system administration.”
If he resigns, the school board can appoint someone to hold the seat until a special election is held. The soonest available date for that is in March, according to Doss.
Richmond County Board of Education trustees are paid $12,000 per year plus a travel allowance. The vice-president of the board makes $13,000 and the president is paid $14,000.
The District 6 trusteeship was held by Jack Padgett for three terms and his wife Barbara Padgett for four terms before A.K. Hasan won it in a 2018 runoff.
