John Robison was sentenced Friday to more than three years in federal prison for money laundering and wire fraud.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
John Robison, convicted in July of defrauding University of Austin founder Joe Lonsdale through a real estate scheme, has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison and ordered to pay back the $1 million he took from the Austin-based conservative billionaire.
U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman called Robison’s crime brazen and the evidence overwhelming.
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The four federal counts on which he was convicted by a jury, including wire fraud and money laundering, stem from a deal he pitched to Lonsdale in 2022 to purchase 1,800 acres along the Colorado River outside Bastrop to develop a campus for the University of Austin. Lonsdale, a tech entrepreneur who co-founded Palantir, was then designing the conservative university he later launched.
In early 2022, Lonsdale gave $1 million to Robison’s Four Gates Property L.P. to be held in escrow. Robison agreed that the money would not be used until he had successfully raised at least another $1 million. The next day, though, $250,000 was transferred to Robison’s personal account.
Federal prosecutors said Robison used the money to pay back other debts and fund his lifestyle.
The sentence was handed down after two teary-eyed statements from Robison and his life partner, Jason Papp, 52.
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“Joe lost a million dollars and his wealth doesn’t make that loss less, and I am deeply sorry,” Robison said, saying he recognized that Lonsdale’s immense wealth, estimated at about $3 billion, did not ameliorate the crime.
He spoke of finding religion again, joining his late mother’s church in Lakeway. He spoke of his shame and regret, saying that he would be serving two sentences: one handed down by U.S. District Judge Pitman, the other levied by shame and the knowledge that he must regain the trust of his community.
Papp told the court that he had seen his partner change over the past year, that shame and regret had taken a toll.
“He told me he was glad his mother wasn’t alive to see all this,” Papp said.
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Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Guess minced no words in responding to the impassioned pleas, calling Robison a con man who took the money and paid none of it back.
“Mr. Robison is trying to con this court like he conned James Brickman and Joe Lonsdale,” Guess told the court. Brickman, a former state prosecutor, was Lonsdale’s attorney in the land deal.
He said Robison tried to get more money from Lonsdale and would have misused that as well.
Pitman, a former U.S. prosecutor, said Robison went to trial despite overwhelming evidence of his guilt.
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He called Robison’s conduct brazen and said he was compelled to give Robison a sentence at the high end of federal guidelines, not only to get the message across that it was wrong and to deter others, but because Robison has had every advantage to lead a good life without “stealing from others.”
Ultimately Pitman was unswayed by Robison’s entreaties, saying his acknowledgment of his crimes should have come earlier than 10 minutes before his sentencing and calling his regret “Too little, too late.”