Mother and daughter charged with stealing from child care center, HCSO says

AVON PARK, Fla. - An Avon Park mother and daughter are accused of stealing nearly $100,000 from a non-profit child care center.

According to the Highlands County Sheriff's Office, Tikia Melissa Robertson, 50, and her daughter Wilneisha Akia Ise Gammage, 27, were each charged with grand theft, fraud to obtain more than $50,000, illegal use of credit cards and uttering a false instrument.

Robertson is the former director of the Avon Park Community Child Development Center.

According to investigators, the fraud was discovered by a new treasurer of the center who was reviewing the financial records in January 2023.

Robertson resigned in May 2023 after she was confronted about the transactions, according to investigators.

Between Jan. 15, 2020 and Dec. 29, 2022, Robertson is accused of writing more than 80 fake checks to her daughter totaling more than $93,000.

Investigators say the center's debit card was also used multiple times to pay Gammage's car payment, car insurance and Verizon account, totaling nearly $6,000.

In total, investigators say they believe that the two suspects stole $98,870.94.

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