Suit Links Robbins to Land Fraud

Former state Sen. Alan Robbins, serving a prison term on federal corruption charges, has been accused by a business partner of defrauding him of $2.5 million in a Ventura County land deal.

Michael R. Goland charged in a lawsuit that Robbins, aided by a Chicago title insurance firm, received some proceeds from the sale of a Thousand Oaks parcel without Goland’s knowledge or permission. Goland said the nine-acre parcel was sold for nearly $9 million.

Goland, a onetime Woodland Hills developer and longtime pro-Israel activist, was convicted last year of secretly trying to take over a Santa Monica-based savings and loan using $900,000 loaned by Robbins. Prosecutors said Goland sought to use the S&L; as a source for making loans to pro-Israel politicians and financing real estate ventures.

In 1990, Goland was convicted of making illegal campaign contributions to a minor-party candidate in an attempt to tilt the 1986 U. S. Senate race toward Sen. Alan Cranston (D-Calif.), a prominent supporter of Israel.

Goland, who was sentenced to a total of two years and three months imprisonment on the two convictions, remains free on bail pending appeals.

Robbins, a Van Nuys Democrat who represented the south-central San Fernando Valley in the state Senate for 18 years, began serving a five-year term at the federal prison camp in Lompoc in June after pleading guilty to racketeering and income tax evasion charges.

In his suit, filed in Santa Monica Superior Court in July, Goland names the Chicago Title Insurance Co. as a defendant, saying the firm engaged in a fraud with Robbins. The suit, filed without the help of a lawyer, does not name Robbins as a defendant but accuses him of receiving money from the land sale without Goland’s knowledge.

Robbins could not be reached for comment Thursday. A spokesman for Chicago Title said the firm would not discuss the suit while it is pending in court.

Goland said in his suit that he and Robbins are partners in a firm, Los Robles Office Partners, that purchased 18 acres in Thousand Oaks. In late 1987, Goland said, they struck a deal to sell half of that land for $8.7 million.

Goland said Chicago Title acted as escrow agent in the sale and was told that all escrow documents had to be signed by both Goland and Robbins.

But the Chicago company gave Robbins $2.5 million from the escrow account after the ex-lawmaker alone signed a release, Goland said. Goland said he never approved the release of those funds or had advance knowledge of it.

Chicago Title turned the money over to Robbins, according to Goland, “for a quid pro quo from Robbins’ insurance committee.” Robbins served in 1987 as chairman of the state Senate Insurance, Claims and Corporations Committee, which oversees legislation regulating the insurance industry.

Goland’s suit, however, does not specify the alleged favor. Questioned by a reporter, he refused to elaborate on that or any other aspect of the suit.

Goland said in his suit that the actions of Chicago Title and Robbins “are of similar conduct . . . for which Robbins had previously acknowledged committing crimes in the past.”

That apparently is a reference to Robbins’ admission last year that he supported three special-interest bills in exchange for $29,700 in bribes.