Georgia woman arrested in High Springs after trying to use fraudulent check in Alachua auto parts store

Staff report

ALACHUA, Fla. – Essence C. Robinson, 33, was arrested yesterday at the High Springs Advance Auto Parts store after allegedly trying to use a fraudulent check to pay for over $2,000 in merchandise at the Alachua Advance Auto Parts store.

At about 6:38 p.m. on March 26, an Alachua Police Department officer responded to Advance Auto Parts (15579 NW U.S. Hwy 441, Alachua), where employees reported that a woman, later identified as Robinson, had selected multiple items totaling $2,123.11 and tried to pay by check. The employees said they had received a notification from another store in Lake City about similar fraudulent activities, so the manager declined the transaction, and Robinson immediately left the store in a black sedan with a Texas tag.

Believing that the woman might try the same thing at other nearby Advance Auto Parts stores, the officer notified the High Springs Police Department, and an HSPD officer found the black sedan at the Advance Auto Parts store in High Springs (20201 U.S. Hwy 441); Robinson and two other individuals were reportedly preparing to enter the store. (No information was provided about the other two individuals.)

Post Miranda, Robinson initially denied entering the Alachua store or trying to buy anything. However, she later changed her statement and said she had entered the store but was only checking prices and did not intend to buy anything.

A search of the black sedan reportedly produced about 15 blank checks, along with receipts from multiple Advance Auto Parts stores in Lake City, totaling about $1,800; the items on the receipts were reportedly found in the trunk of the sedan. The search also reportedly produced additional receipts from stores in Georgia and several Green Dot cards.

Robinson has been charged with attempted fraud and attempting to pass a fraudulent check. She has no criminal convictions in Florida, but she has an unspecified criminal history in another state between 2010 and 2026. Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $30,000.

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.