Auto Zone employee arrested for making fraudulent returns “to supplement his income”
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Michael James Roberts, 25, of High Springs, was arrested yesterday and charged with making 54 fraudulent return transactions while he was an employee of Auto Zone.
At 1:52 p.m. on Friday, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to Auto Zone (7725 W. Newberry Road), where the regional loss prevention manager said Roberts, who was the parts manager for the business, had been caught making numerous fraudulent returns for a total of $4,441.79. The regional loss prevention manager provided the deputy with records detailing 54 fraudulent transactions.
Post Miranda, Roberts reportedly admitted that he had made “numerous” returns for cash; he said he pulled up his personal customer account and a relative’s personal account, found items that had been purchased but were still under warranty, and processed a return for each item without returning the items. He reportedly said he had done this about 24 times for a total of $2,160; he said “times were tough” and he did this two or three times per week to “supplement his income.” He said he used the cash for his car payment, gas, and food.
Roberts has no local criminal history and has been released from the jail. Bail information is not available on weekends.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.Â
Sorry man & I’m being sincere. It is tough, these days when working people need 2 jobs to keep their head above water.
The Biden Bucks don’t go very far. Elections have consequences.
WHERE IS HIS LIPS?
Well he thought times were tough working and making fraudulent returns. Now without a job, criminal charges, and a stain on his employment history I guess he will find it tougher.
Not to worry, the City of Gainesville will hire him even with a record. So will Alachua County.
So will the republican party led by convicted felon crooked Trump.
That commute from High Springs must have been very costly during Bidenomics. I can understand. 🤑💰🤡 D
You thieves have to know that you are going to get caught digitally.
It’s amazing to me how employees at stores steal scratch off tickets, and then get all upset when the digital money trail catches up to them. Or these jitterbugs posting pictures with handguns on social media.
In the digital world we live in these days, how can somebody ever believe they gonna get away with it. 😜
From CCTV camera’s, too Facebook, the illness of “Digital Stupid” is just amazing to me.
A Trade School opportunity in High School might have prevented this. Making minimum wage as counter help is never going to provide a good living. Electricians, plumbers, or construction workers are in big demand. It’s no excuse for his actions, but if we could have provided a better path for him when he was in 9th grade, where might he be today? He is now going further down and finding a job with a record of theft from an employer even harder.
He was the parts manager for the business, $$$$
I guess a second job was not an answer to his problem.
It’s amazing to me that a major chain like this one, doesn’t have the computer software to catch the excessive ‘returns’ much earlier. Maybe they don’t employ enough loss prevention people.
I go in this Autozone frequently, He has helped me, nice guy, it is to bad a lapse in judgement is now going to follow him around the rest of his life, good luck Mike
Can’t see his pie hole?
Ole bidennomics has people with jobs even stealing now. This country has turned into such a cess pool.