PORT CHARLOTTE — Stephen Miller admits he drank a few beers Monday before going to the schools where his granddaughters are enrolled to inquire about their security procedures in the wake of the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn. But he said he wasn’t intoxicated.

Speaking outside his Port Charlotte home Tuesday, Miller said he was just trying to make sure his family was safe, especially after the school system had touted its new security procedures.

“I was interested to see how they had changed. They were supposed to have beefed up security,” Miller said.

Instead, Miller was arrested and charged with two counts of disrupting a school function in connection with the incident, in which authorities say he traveled to both Kingsway Elementary and Port Charlotte Middle School drunk, and inquired if he could bring a gun on school grounds.

Miller was not armed, according to the report, after being stopped by a school resource officer at Port Charlotte Middle School and placed under arrest.

Miller, 61, of the 23100 block of McBurney Ave., was transported to the Charlotte County Jail after his arrest and was released on $1,000 bond early Tuesday morning.

Miller said he had to walk home from the Punta Gorda jail after his wife would not come pick him up. But he added that he did not regret the decision to go to the schools because he wanted to make sure his granddaughters were safe. He said he and his wife are legal guardians of the two kids.

“I was satisfied with the response and I was treated very well at the jail,” Miller added.

Charlotte County Public Schools spokesman Mike Riley praised the work of the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, saying that school resource officers are an invaluable tool.

“It shows what can happen when you have law enforcement in the school, which I think is the best thing for everyone,” Riley said.

Report: Brothers arrested
on multiple drug charges

ENGLEWOOD — Authorities arrested two brothers Monday on numerous drug-dealing charges, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, after an unnamed witness reportedly saw them casing a pain management clinic.

Arrested were Matthew Robert Werman, 31, of the 7100 block of Teaberry St., Englewood; and Mark Anthony Werman, 27, of the 7400 block of Hart St., also of Englewood. Matthew was charged with three counts of trafficking in diazepam while armed, one count each of trafficking in oxycodone while armed and trafficking in hydromorphone while armed. He was also charged with two counts of possession of ibuprofen without a prescription, plus one count each of possession of codeine, possession of hydromorphone and possession of drug paraphernalia. Mark was charged with sale and delivery of oxycodone within 1,000 feet of a church, sale and delivery of dilaudid within 1,000 feet of a church, possession of dilaudid, possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of possession of oxycodone.

According to a report, an unidentified caller contacted the CCSO on Monday to inform them that two men were casing a pain management clinic in Englewood and one of the men was likely Matthew Werman.

When authorities arrived they found multiple bottles of pills in the car, a loaded .380 handgun, cash and knives. Authorities also found a bottle of pills on Mark, the report states.

Both were arrested and transported to the Charlotte County Jail. Matthew remains in jail on $132,000 bond; Mark remains jailed on $58,000 bond.

The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office reported the following arrests:

• James Lee Dabney, 34, 500 block of Burland St., Punta Gorda. Charges: three counts of selling a synthetic narcotic and possession of a controlled substance. Bond: $22,500.

• Elizabeth Ann Clary, 19, 26600 block of Barranquilla Ave., Punta Gorda. Charge: driving on a permanently revoked license. Bond: $2,500.

• Edwin Alvarado Pardo, 35, 400 block of Hippel St., Port Charlotte. Charges: driving with a suspended license and possession of a forged driver’s license. Bond: $1,000.

• Briana Elizabeth Gonzalez, 20, 5400 block of Rosette Ave., North Port. Charge: violation of probation (original charge: reckless driving). Bond: none.

• Randall Scott Kluge, 45, 4300 block of Padgette St., North Port. Charge: out-of-county warrant. Bond: none.

• Lori Ann Caldwell, 52, Fort Myers, Fla. Charge: violation of probation (original charge: possession of a controlled substance). Bond: none.

• Gregory Alan Gilreath, 54, 800 block of E. Second St., Englewood. Charge: out-of-state fugitive. Bond: none.

• Adam Brent Curry, 41, 400 block of South Drive, Punta Gorda. Charge: battery. Bond: none.

• Sarah Kathleen Wolfe, 42, 22300 block of Augusta Ave., Port Charlotte. Charges: battery and violation of pre-trial release conditions. Bond: none.

— Compiled by Drew Winchester