Hernando sheriff’s deputies say they found syringes, pawn receipts and stolen items in their car. They said they stole items to pay for their drug addiction.

BROOKSVILLE – A man and woman who were found passed out in a car at a gas pump say they stole and pawned items to pay for illegal drugs, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office said.

Bridgette Eisenhart, 32, was charged with 14 counts of Dealing in Stolen Property, 12 counts of Defrauding a Pawn Broker, and one count of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Michael Nutt, 32, was charged with 10 counts of Dealing in Stolen Property and one count each of Organized Fraud and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Deputies said that, shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday (Oct. 8), they were dispatched to the Sunoco convenience store, 765 S Broad St. in Brooksville, to investigate a report of two persons passed out in a vehicle at the gas pumps. Paramedics from Hernando County Fire Rescue were also called.

Paramedics were at the scene when deputies arrived. Nutt and Eisenhart, were standing outside the car. Deputies said both appeared to be tired but alert enough to answer questions.

The car, a silver Nissan Altima, was still parked in front of the gas pumps. Deputies got permission from both Nutt and Eisenhart to search the car.

In addition to drug paraphernalia, deputies said they found clothing (some still had security tags from a major department store attached), and various high-end electronics including an electric gate opener, two Dyson vacuum cleaners, and a Lenovo Desk Computer. All electronic items were still in their original boxes and valued at several thousand dollars.

During a secondary search of the car, deputies said they found several syringes, a vial, a notebook, and numerous pawn receipts. The substance in the vial field tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine.

Detectives said they were able to link both Nutt and Eisenhart to numerous retail theft cases from various counties throughout the state.

Deputies said Nutt confessed to stealing all of the items that were pawned by Eisenhart. Nutt told detectives that Eisenhart was pawning the items because he did not have any type of identification, upon being released from jail. Nutt also stated that he really didn’t want to pawn the items using his name, as he was well-known for committing Retail Theft and pawning the stolen items.

Nutt went on to say that he and Eisenhart are both addicted to pain medication, and they use the money, usually a few hundred dollars per day, to support their addiction.

Deputies said Eisenhart also confessed to her part in the crimes – pawning numerous stolen items for Nutt. Eisenhart told detectives that she never actually stole any of the items, she just sold them at the pawn shops because Nutt did not have identification and was well-known already for stealing and then the pawning items. Eisenhart told detectives she was aware that the items she was pawning were stolen.

Eisenhart confirmed Nutt’s statement that both are addicted to drugs and use the money to support their addiction.

Photo shows Michael Nutt, left, and Bridgette Eisenhart.

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