Overview

• Federal prosecutors filed criminal complaints and arrested Brandon Robinson, 41, and Michelle Hill, 48, who have both made initial appearances in Detroit federal court.
• Robinson is accused of using “straw students” to submit fraudulent aid claims for more than 1,200 people across over 100 schools in 24 states from 2015 to 2024.
• Authorities allege Robinson’s scheme led to more than $16 million in FSA awards with over $10 million disbursed, and that he also obtained over $1 million through 100-plus fraudulent unemployment claims during 2020–2023.
• Hill is charged in a separate case involving more than 80 individuals, largely at Wayne County Community College, with allegations she often completed students’ online coursework to prolong aid eligibility from 2015 to 2025.
• DOJ notes these are allegations in complaints, not evidence of guilt, as DOE-OIG leads both probes with DOL-OIG and the FBI assisting in Robinson’s case, and AUSAs John K. Neal and Ryan A. Particka prosecuting.