ASHLAND, Ky. — The founder of Addiction Recovery Care is asking a federal judge to move his upcoming criminal trial from Ashland to Covington, arguing that extensive media coverage of the company and its controversies could prevent him from receiving a fair trial.
Attorneys for Timmy G. Robinson Jr. filed a motion Nov. 6 in Ashland federal court, requesting that the trial be moved to the Covington Division of the court.
Robinson is charged with one count of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. The indictment concerns allegations that Robinson attempted to sell the same employee retention tax credits to two different buyers.
According to the indictment, Addiction Recovery Care sold its interest in employee retention credits for the first and second quarters of 2021 to one buyer in July and September 2025, then entered into an agreement to sell those same credits to another buyer in November 2025.
The defense argues that extensive publicity surrounding ARC, Robinson and investigations involving the company has created an atmosphere in the Ashland Division that could make it difficult to select an impartial jury.
Robinson’s attorneys point to years of news coverage involving ARC’s facility closures, employee layoffs, federal investigations and allegations of Medicaid fraud.
The motion acknowledges that Robinson has not been charged with Medicaid fraud but argues that coverage of those allegations has frequently been combined with reporting about his federal indictment.
The defense also cites a July 2026 agreement in which ARC and two affiliates agreed to pay a $16.2 million civil judgment to resolve allegations involving Kentucky’s Medicaid program. The motion notes that Robinson was not named as a party to that agreement and that the federal government made no determination of liability in the settlement.
Attorneys argue that residents in the Ashland Division may have personal connections to ARC because of its former employment, treatment facilities and economic impact in the region.
The motion states that prospective jurors could include former ARC employees, people who lost jobs when facilities closed, former patients or family members of people who received treatment through the organization.
“The adverse publicity about ARC, Tim Robinson, and the investigation of one and the indictment of the other makes a fair trial in Ashland impossible,” the defense wrote in its memorandum.
The attorneys argue that moving the trial to Covington would provide a larger jury pool with less exposure to local coverage and fewer direct connections to the company.
The filing notes that the Ashland Division encompasses 11 counties with a combined population of approximately 228,000, while the Covington Division encompasses nine counties with a population of approximately 494,000.
The defense also argues that Covington falls within a different media market, where local coverage of ARC’s operations and controversies has been less extensive.
The motion requests a change in the location of the trial, not a transfer to another federal judicial district. Both Ashland and Covington are within the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Robinson’s trial is currently scheduled to begin Feb. 2, in Ashland. His attorneys say they believe the proceedings could require approximately 10 trial days rather than the one week originally scheduled.
The motion does not address the merits of the criminal charges, and Robinson is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
From Mountaintop Media
