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Trial begins for El Sobrante man charged with killing San Ramon mortgage lender
Greed and financial desperation drove an El Sobrante man to orchestrate the murder of a wealthy San Ramon mortgage lender who had long mentored him in the real estate business, a prosecutor told jurors Thursday during opening statements in Reginald Robinson\’s murder trial.
Robinson, 33, was running a real estate fraud scam involving two North Richmond townhouses financed by Kasmir Billon in 2008 when he either hired someone to kill Billon, or committed the killing himself, deputy district attorney Ken McCormick said.
Robinson, who was deep in personal debt and at risk of losing his home and cars, hoped to reap the profits from the sales of the over-appraised townhouses to straw buyers that he created once Billon was out of the picture, prosecutors say. Robinson has pleaded not guilty to one count of murder, two counts of solicitation of murder, forgery and being a felon in possession of a handgun.
Robinson\’s attorney denied that his client had any part in killing Billon. It was Billon who was the puppet master in all legitimate and fraudulent real estate deals involving Robinson, who had no opportunity to make money if Billon was dead, deputy public defender Jonathan Laba said.
Billon, 42, was found shot dead in his BMW 745 on April 27, 2008, on a frontage road near the San Ramon Marriott. The car was in park, the engine was still running and Billon\’s foot was on the gas pedal. Three .44 Magnum bullets had been fired at the car, one passing through Billon\’s heart, causing him to bleed to death.
Investigators did not find any evidence at the scene pointing to the killer\’s identity.
The attorneys agree that Billon met Robinson at a Walnut Creek gas station about 9 p.m. and gave him a $1,750 check for tree-cutting services at a house they were flipping on Giaramita Street in Richmond. Laba said that Robinson returned home to his wife and children about the same time Billon was shot to death, and he was shocked to learn about the killing the next day.
Two men, strangers to each other, will testify that Robinson had solicited each of them to kill his business associate by April 27, the day before escrow was to close on the first North Richmond townhouse, McCormick said.
The second man called police April 28 to report Robinson\’s proposition after seeing a TV news report about Billon\’s death. Richard Rogers, a felon who met Robinson through the Jevohah\’s Witness community, said Robinson offered him $50,000 to masquerade as a tree-cutter and kill Billon at the Giaramita Street house, according to McCormick. Rogers backed out after Robinson refused to pay him half the money upfront. He told police that Robinson came to him after Derek Wheat, the first person he solicited, bailed on their deal.
Laba said both men have a motive to lie.
The trial will continue for several weeks in the courtroom of Contra Costa Superior Court Judge John Laettner.
By Malaika Fraley<–>
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