When Asian massage parlors are raided in the District, lawyer Wendell C. Robinson often gets a call.
Robinson’s name turns up in court records defending six accused prostitutes arrested in the raids of four alleged brothels.
“I’ve litigated against him in a couple massage parlor cases,” said Michael Sachdev of D.C.’s Attorney General’s Office. “I’ve learned that he has represented prostitutes in these types of cases as well.”
Sachdev has been litigating against Robinson since the Attorney General’s Office sued Min Kwak. The suit demanded Kwak close the doors to Supra Inc., a massage parlor identified as a brothel by District officials.
The business remains open, court records show, but Kwak no longer owns it.
When Attorney General Peter Nickles sued Kwak’s former landlord, George Thanos, Robinson also represented him, records show. The case accuses Thanos of allowing a house of prostitution to exist on his property.
Robinson also appeared when police raided Supra in March 2008. Court records show he defended Chong Hayashi and Lim Seuna. Charges against both were dropped after a grand jury didn’t indict Hayashi and Seuna agreed to enter a prostitute diversion program.
“These clients ask me to represent them,” Robinson said. “I can’t control which people contact me.”
Court records show Robinson has been representing accused prostitutes since 2007, the same year he was readmitted to the bar.
In 1990, Robinson was disbarred for spending $600 of a client’s winnings from a court case, bar records said. When the client asked for her $480 share, Robinson gave her two checks that bounced.
He assured the client he had the cash to support the second check. But before the client could cash the second check, Robinson withdrew $75, leaving $4 in the account, a bar review of his accounts found.
Robinson petitioned to be readmitted four times over the next 17 years. The board refused because Robinson was still bouncing checks and repeatedly failed to pay his taxes.
He was readmitted after he got his finances in order.
“Just because these clients ask me to represent them doesn’t mean I’ve done anything wrong,” Robinson said.
