Rumeal Robinson

Rumeal James Robinson (born November 13, 1966) is a Jamaican-American former professional basketball player and convicted felon.

Growing up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Robinson graduated from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School and went on to play point guard for the University of Michigan.

Early in the 1977–78 school year, he was taken in by Helen and Lou Ford, a respected local couple.

They adopted him in 1978.

He blossomed into a star guard at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, leading them to a state championship in 1986.

Robinson averaged 14.3 points and 5.7 assists during his collegiate career at the University of Michigan.

After a strong showing in Michigan's 1989 NCAA championship, Robinson was drafted #10 in the first round of the 1990 NBA draft.

He achieved fame during his junior year for sinking two crucial free throws with 3 seconds left in the 1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship to win the game for the Wolverines over Seton Hall University.

His mother persuaded the city of Cambridge to name her street "Rumeal Robinson Way" in his honor.

Robinson was drafted in 1990 by the Atlanta Hawks with the 10th pick.

He was signed to a four-year deal with the Hawks.

He also played for the New Jersey Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers.

Robinson also spent time in the Continental Basketball Association.

However, his high living in the 1990s had all but destroyed his credit, and he was unable to find a bank willing to lend him any money.

Through a friend, he was referred to Community State Bank in Ankeny, Iowa.

The bank's senior loan officer, Brian Williams, approved a $377,000 bridge loan to Robinson's company, Megaladon Development—ostensibly to help with advertising and business plans.

Robinson paid $100,000 of the loan back to Williams as a bribe to move the approval process forward.

Over the next year and a half, Robinson received $1.2 million in loans from Community State Bank, all approved by Williams.

However, he never paid the bank a single penny, and barely five percent of the money went toward developing Harmony Cove.

The rest of it was used to buy expensive clothes, meals, motorcycles, jewelry, and other items.

The fraud was uncovered when Williams tried to hide the bad loans by rolling the interest and penalties into the principal for a new loan.

One of Williams' subordinates was alarmed enough to alert bank officials.

Community State Bank fired Williams and sued Megaladon for nonpayment.

His last season as a regular player was 1992-93, his first year in New Jersey; after that year, he never played in more than 54 games a season.

He was one of three Robinsons that the Portland Trail Blazers had in their line-up for the 1995–96 NBA season.

The others were Clifford Robinson and James Robinson (both no relation).

Robinson made some $5 million in the NBA, but spent it on a lavish lifestyle.

He went through money so irresponsibly, he neglected to pay his bills.

He was forced into bankruptcy in 1998.

After his playing career was over, Robinson moved to Miami and attempted to become a property developer in his native Jamaica.

He planned to build a 25,000 acre resort in his hometown called Harmony Cove.

As part of his bid to attract investors, he persuaded his adoptive mother to take out a second mortgage on her house and lend it to Robinson as seed money.

He promised to cover all the payments, and promised to give her $500,000 once the project was finished.

He played in the Euroleague during the 2001–02 season for KK Zadar.

In the NBA, Robinson's play was very inconsistent.

He played professionally until 2002, then started a criminal career that ended with him being sentenced to prison in 2011 on multiple convictions for bank bribery and wire fraud.

Robinson was born in Mandeville, Jamaica, in the west-central portion of the island.

His mother moved to the Boston area while he was a toddler, leaving him in his grandparents' care.

Shortly after he turned 10 years old, his grandparents sent him to the United States in hopes of reuniting him with his mother.

However, his mother made it clear that she didn't want him, and he was reduced to sleeping in apartment halls and Harvard College dorm stairways.