Journalist

Investigation into attempted privatization of downtown parking

Winner - Government, Small Division (2020)

Society for the Advancement of Business Editing and Writing

Judges' comment:

"This reporting exposed a problematic effort to privatize downtown parking in Jacksonville, bringing scrutiny where none previously existed. It’s a fine example of the impact local watchdog journalism can bring, and of change that wouldn’t have been possible without the reporting in this entry."

Articles
	Former DIA board member's big money parking contract pitched originally to mayor's office Jan. 7, 2020 A plan to privatize city parking was known to the mayor's office long before being pitched to the DIA -- by a board member whose involvement with running troubled downtown parking garages was not widely known.
	Do these city-funded garages owe more than they're worth? Jan. 16, 2020 Taxpayers have funded almost $60 million in loans to three privately owned garages downtown and are on the hook for 10 more years of losses. An option for the city to buy out the owner would not be cheap.
	Downtown agency votes to reject contentious bid to privatize parking Jan. 17, 2020 The CEO of the Downtown Investment Authority wants to keep authority over on-street parking downtown.
	City says owners of debt-ridden garages are in default, refuses to lend money Jan. 28, 2020 DIA has refused to pay millions more to the owners of downtown garages that have borrowed almost $60 million from the city, with both parties now accusing the other of violating their contract.

Business Beat Clips

2nd Place - Business Beat Reporting (2020)

Society of Professional Journalists Florida Chapter

Articles
	Web.com gets back to core mission under new CEO Oct. 4, 2019 Web.com has sold off non-core businesses as it expands its core businesses worldwide.
	VyStar's downtown campus marks new era for city's largest credit union Feb. 15, 2019 Rapid territory expansion, a bank acquisition and a claim to part of Jacksonville's skyline – just some of the ways VyStar is starting its next chapter of growth.
	Suits pit Ameris CEO against former employee over $23 million in fraudulent loans June 13, 2019 A Jacksonville lawsuit accuses Ameris CEO Dennis Zember of hiding fraudulent loans and employee kickbacks from investors. Ameris calls it a "retaliatory suit" from a "disgruntled former employee."
	Exclusive: Amports to expand footprint in Jacksonville June 17, 2019 Amports, one of the world's largest auto processors, will expand its acreage in a deal expected to be signed at Jaxport's board meeting.

Other awards:

• Goldschmidt Fellow (2019)
• Finalist – Beat Reporting, American City Business Journals (2019)
• Cox-SABEW Fellow (2016)
• McGill Fellow (2016)
• Best Stories of Summer (2016)

Founding CEO of incentive-winning company accused of embezzlement

After acquiring several IT and software services companies, SharedLabs touted strong profits and forecasted a bright future that included an initial public offering. It threatened to take its success elsewhere if state and city taxpayers did not offer incentives, which it was then awarded.

Soon after, Robinson reported on an internal company investigation into SharedLabs' founder and CEO, Jason Cory, who the company accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars, even as his company failed to make payroll. Robinson also uncovered that Cory had been accused of the same behavior at previous companies and that some of the money allegedly embezzled from SharedLabs had gone to the re-election campaign of Jacksonville's mayor while SharedLabs was soliciting incentives.

Following Robinson's reporting, SharedLabs forfeited its incentives, lost an attempted reverse merger that would have taken the company public, fired several executives and was sued by some of its shareholders. Cory was later arrested by the FBI and ultimately pleaded guilty to tax evasion and sentenced to two years and eight months in federal prison.

Articles
	Investors in company that got city incentives accuse founder of embezzlement April 19, 2019 Investors in two Jacksonville companies accuse the founder of them of taking company funds, including accusations of faked contracts, lies about military service and expensed Super Bowl tickets.
	As SharedLabs sought incentives, $10,000 went to Mayor Lenny Curry's organizations April 22, 2019 In the midst of negotiations with the city over an incentives package, the now-ousted SharedLab founder started donating to the mayor.
	FBI indicts former Jacksonville tech CEO on wire fraud charges, seeks arrest July 27, 2020 A warrant has been issued for the arrest of the ousted CEO of a company that was once awarded city and state incentives. He denies all charges.

Allegations of fraudulent loans, bribes complicate massive bank merger

Weeks ahead of a massive acquisition, Robinson reported on lawsuits detailing conflicting allegations of how the bank missed $23 million in fraudulent loans originating from a bank it previously acquired - a deal vetted by its then CEO. Later, just before the largest merger in its history, the CEO resigned. Federal agencies later opened investigations into the bank's disclosures to investors related to the fraudulent loans.

Articles
	Suits pit Ameris CEO against former employee over $23 million in fraudulent loans June 13, 2019 A Jacksonville lawsuit accuses Ameris CEO Dennis Zember of hiding fraudulent loans and employee kickbacks from investors. Ameris calls it a "retaliatory suit" from a "disgruntled former employee."
	Suit accuses Ameris Bank of systematic bribes for home loans in South Carolina June 17, 2019 A suit accuses Ameris Bank of bribing homebuilders to refer homebuyers to the bank's home loans. Ameris denies the claim.
	Ameris CEO resigns amidst lawsuit, merger July 1, 2019 Ameris CEO Dennis Zember resigned days before the bank closed on an $870 million acquisition.
	Feds probe Ameris Bank's investor disclosures over troubled acquisition Nov. 21, 2019 Federal investigators have subpoenaed records related to the acquisition of a bank that originated fraudulent loans.

CSX and "precision scheduled railroading"

Jacksonville-based CSX Corp., one of the nation's largest railroads, undertook a massive operational pivot that refocused the company on efficiency, spurring it to shed assets, cut jobs, shrink its footprint, run fewer and longer trains and undertake a host of other changes. The company's profitability soared, but the transition was hardly smooth.

Robinson covered a wave of customer outcries against deteriorating service, an increase in train derailments and accidents and a second wave of customer outcries against rate and fee increases.

His coverage was the first to identify the cause of a fatal collision between Amtrak and CSX trains, the only to compare the disparate service metrics CSX presented to investors and regulators and the most comprehensive of a multi-day federal hearing in Washington, D.C. over railroads' surging fees.

Articles
	Special report: How CSX is changing the rules of railroading Sept. 17, 2019 As CSX leads the industry in a new direction, Wall Street is ecstatic -- but customers are pushing back against what they call abuses.
	Rail customers lambaste 'monopolistic' fee increases at federal hearings May 23, 2019 In the first day of the two-day Surface Transportation Board hearing, corporate giants from a range of industries accused the railroads of making rule-based fees unavoidable and unbearable.
	Amid regulatory scrutiny, CSX leads nation in revenue from fees Feb. 13, 2019 The Surface Transportation Board, a federal regulator, is reviewing the revenue major railroads across the country collect from fees.
	After expensive quarter of train accidents, CSX safety concerns return Sept. 12, 2018 CSX recorded more accidents last quarter that caused at least $1 million of damage than it has in years, and now employees say it could get worse.
	Incorrect information from CSX employee led to Sunday's fatal crash Feb. 6, 2018 Documents show CSX signal switches were off at the time of the fatal Amtrak cash, leading the passenger train to rely on CSX employees to ensure switches were properly aligned.
	CSX CEO: 'We overlooked the people side of the ledger' Oct. 11, 2017 The Jacksonville-based railroad faced its clients who had complained to a federal regulatory agency.