Two roommates face drug-related charges

A Sarasota man and his roommate are facing charges after searches revealed drugs, a gun and stolen checks.

Shawn Kersey, 30, is facing several charges, including two counts of criminal use of personal identification, two counts of unlawful possession of identification, grand theft, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and several drug possession charges.

Detectives met Kersey on Jan. 26 during a traffic stop where he had a stolen checkbook, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. Kersey told officials the checks belonged to his grandmother, but when detectives reached out to the victim, she said she didn’t know Kersey.

Two separate instances of fraud were later connected to Kersey’s address where he allegedly used a second victim’s account information for a total of $40,000 in transactions, according to the sheriff’s office.

Wednesday, officials stopped Kersey near Murdock Avenue and Osage Terrace for an arrest warrant and found methamphetamine, heroin, drug paraphernalia and a loaded gun with an altered serial number during a search of his backpack, according to the sheriff’s office.

A search warrant was executed on Kersey’s Granada Drive apartment where officials seized more than two pounds of marijuana, counterfeit money and fake forms of identification, according to the sheriff’s office.

Kersey’s roommate, Christian Olson, 21, is charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of heroin and possession of methamphetamine. Olson was released Thursday on a $4,500 bond, according to the sheriff’s office.

Additional charges are pending, as the investigation is ongoing.

This story was originally published April 7, 2017 at 3:39 PM with the headline "Two roommates face drug-related charges."