2 suspects face drug, identity theft charges after breaking Charlotte County curfew

Two suspects face identity theft and drug charges after Charlotte County deputies say they were caught breaking the county’s curfew early Thursday morning.

According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, Sean Russette, 29, and Kaylee Stevens, 27, were seen at around 1:30 a.m. driving a Nissan Frontier pickup truck in the area of Tuckers Grade in violation of the Charlotte County curfew. After a deputy got behind the vehicle, the truck slowed down, allowing him to run the tag, and the result came back for a Buick. When the deputy tried to pull over the pickup truck, it turned off the main road and onto two side streets before finally stopping. This suspicious behavior led the deputy to call for backup.

When Russette got out of the driver’s seat, he was seen dropping a syringe and kicking it under the truck. He and Stevens said they were headed to the St. Petersburg area, and both denied having any knowledge of narcotics in the vehicle.

A search of the truck revealed two small baggies of a crystal-like substance that tested positive for methamphetamine in the passenger side door and a pressed pill that tested positive for MDMA in the driver’s side door. The needle found under the truck also tested positive for methamphetamine. Deputies also found the following in the vehicle:

• Seven driver’s licenses
• 10 credit/debit cards
• Two Social Security cards
• 30 personal and business checks
• 25 blank checks
• More than 100 handwritten credit card numbers, names, social security numbers, addresses and other personal information

Russette and Stevens were placed under arrest and transported to the Charlotte County Jail. In addition to the charges of drug possession and paraphernalia, the pair also face charges of unlawfully possessing the personal identification information of another person. Additional charges related to the criminal use of such information may be forthcoming.