“Public corruption has a ripple effect, and we must root out the problem to rebuild trust in our communities.”
Those were the words Friday of Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall in announcing the felony convictions of former Tuscaloosa County License Commissioner Lynne Campbell Robbins.
Robbins pled guilty in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court to using her public employment for personal gain, a Class B felony; theft in the first degree, a Class B felony; and computer tampering for the purpose of committing unlawful act or to defraud, a Class C felony.
In order to receive a plea deal, Robbins admitted she used her position as license commissioner to take $136,511.55 from the county between 2016 and 2019, according to a news release from the attorney general’s office.
The release said Robbins admitted to writing 16 checks from her personal checking account in 2019 which were made out to the License Commission. The checks totaled $4,850. Robbins then put the checks into the commission’s cash drawers and took $4,850 in cash for herself, the release said. The checks were returned unpaid because of non-sufficient funds in Robbins’ checking account.
However, the release said, Robbins did not return the face value of the checks and avoided the $30 fee that was charged to the citizens of Tuscaloosa County who bounced checks at the License Commission.
Robbins also reportedly admitted to utilizing her access to the License Commission’s computer network and database to gain access to the public’s licensing transactions.
According to Marshall’s office, Robbins would then refund a previous sales tax or license plate transaction and take the amount of the refund out of the License Commission’s cash deposits for herself. Through this illegal process Robbins made $131,881.55.
She began working for the License Commission in 1999 and was commissioner from October 2017 to December 2019.
Robbins was indicted in 2021 by a Tuscaloosa County grand jury.
She will serve 28 months in prison and must pay $136,511.55 in restitution to Tuscaloosa County.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
