How did 2 best friends steal $1M from Wyandotte County? See timeline of the case
Two longtime Wyandotte County District Court bookkeepers admitted to a five-year wire fraud scheme that drained nearly $1 million from public funds. Here is how the case against Julia Roberts and Vicki Robinson unfolded.
Here are key takeaways:
- January 2018 to February 2023: Roberts and Robinson stole $979,962 from the Wyandotte County District Court by pocketing cash payments and depositing forged checks to cover the theft, spanning a five-year wire fraud conspiracy.
- The pair issued more than 400 fraudulent Clerk of Court checks ranging from $189 to $10,000 to conceal the embezzled cash that was never deposited into the Bank of Labor account.
- September 2020: Roberts retired after working at the district court since 1981. Before she retired, she and Robinson had stolen $816,022, and Robinson continued the scheme alone afterward.
- Roughly two years ago, the Kansas Judicial Branch discovered questionable activity involving court funds while transitioning Wyandotte County to a statewide case management system with centralized payment processing.
- Late August 2025: A federal grand jury indicted Roberts of Kansas City, Kansas, and Robinson of Bonner Springs on charges including wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud and identity theft.
- Early September 2025: Both women appeared in federal court before Senior Judge Daniel D. Crabtree and pleaded not guilty. An October pre-trial hearing was rescheduled to Dec. 9 after defense attorneys requested more time to review evidence.
- January 2026: Despite earlier claims of innocence, both women pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy. Roberts told the FBI she came up with the idea, while Robinson initially downplayed her role before calling the FBI back the next day to admit deeper involvement.
- June 30, 2026: Roberts and Robinson are scheduled for sentencing before Judge Holly Teeter. Roberts is requesting five years of probation, citing her clean 50-year record, age and health conditions including diabetes and a degenerative spine condition.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.