Ex-Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner goes off grid as massive bankruptcy case grinds on

Mick Akers, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Dec 6, 2024

Published in Hockey

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LAS VEGAS — Robin Lehner’s whereabouts remain unknown amid the former Golden Knights goalie’s bankruptcy case, attorneys allege.

Lehner hasn’t interacted with his now former attorney for a prolonged period, according to a court filing by Ryan Andersen, of Andersen Beede Weisenmiller, an attorney representing the trustee in a bankruptcy case that has spawned over a dozen related court cases and is a long way from being over.

“Despite R. Lehner’s decision to disappear, there remains a tremendous amount of work left to do in this Bankruptcy Case, both by the Trustee and by other parties in interest,” Andersen wrote in a court filing on behalf of bankruptcy trustee Ryan Atkinson. “This is a highly complicated Chapter 7 bankruptcy case that has generated 15 adversary proceedings so far and that will likely continue for the foreseeable future.”

Lehner and his wife, Donya Lehner, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in December 2022, with filings showing they owed creditors $27.1 million. Robin Lehner took out and failed to repay multiple loans relating to business ventures from multiple creditors. He also had a failed business venture involving a Missouri reptile farm.

He has also faced fraud allegations, after an individual loaned him $4 million that was to go toward Lehner’s SolarCode business, only to later find out Lehner had other debts that could impact his ability to repay the money.

Law firm withdrawing

The lack of communication from Robin Lehner led one of the law firms representing the couple to withdraw from the case. In the Oct. 21 motion to withdraw filed by Zachariah Larson of Larson and Zirow LLC, noted that communication with the Lehners has been difficult and sporadic throughout the bankruptcy case and that they often had to go through associates of the former goalie in order to reach him.

“However, since approximately early June of 2024, communications from Mr. Lehner ceased entirely, despite repeated efforts by L&Z to communicate with Mr. Lehner through multiple methods not only to Mr. Lehner himself, but also to the individuals who previously facilitated communications between Mr. Lehner and L&Z,” Larson wrote in the court filing.

Larson also said the Lehners were not paying his firm for legal services provided in the Chapter 7 case, an adversary case relating to their primary residence and an appeal, “resulting in an unreasonable financial burden on L&Z, which constitutes grounds for withdrawal,” Larson wrote.

A judge approved the firm’s withdrawal from the case Wednesday. Robin Lehner didn’t immediately respond Friday to an emailed request for comment by the Review-Journal on the bankruptcy case.

Home foreclosure

Donya Lehner moved from the couple’s former $3.2 million primary residence at Balatta Canyon Court on Nov. 25, according to a Dec. 2 court filing. Donya Lehner has since moved into what appears to be a rental property in Las Vegas.

A Nov. 26 court filing stated that Robin Lehner had previously left the residence, again noting that it was unclear where his new residence was and that he has not filed a change of address with his counsel.

A motion to authorize alternative service filed by Andersen will allow court documents to be emailed and sent to the Lehners’ former residence, since Robin Lehner’s whereabouts are unknown.

The Balatta Canyon property is scheduled for foreclosure on Wednesday by South River Capital LLC, the senior secured lender of the property, according to court documents.

Selling high-end items

A Tuesday court filing by bankruptcy trustee Atkinson revealed the Lehners are selling high-end clothing, shoes and handbags they retrieved from their former primary residence before they vacated the property. That includes items from luxury designers Balmain, Christian Louboutin, Celine, Dior, Versace, Gucci and Louis Vuitton to be sold on online marketplace Poshmark.

After the items are sold a report is due to the court noting the selling price of each piece.

One advisory litigation against the Lehners was closed in July, with the couple agreeing to pay RMSPC Funding LLC almost $3 million. To do that, RMSPC sought to garnish multiple sources of income including Lehner’s Golden Knights contract.

In September, a judge froze the Lehners’ assets after allegations of frivolous spending amid the couple’s bankruptcy case.

Lehner was released by the Knights in October, with the team still on the hook for paying the goalie the $4.4 million owed to him for the final year of his five-year, $25 million contract. Lehner last played for the Knights on April 20, 2022, and was since on the injured reserve list after he suffered a shoulder injury and also needed double hip surgery.

The next court hearing in the Lehners’ bankruptcy case is scheduled for Dec. 17.