Arrest reveals escape tunnel

This wasn't just another stolen-identity case.

This one, authorities say, involved a hidden door, high-tech surveillance equipment and a hiding spot referred to as the "worm hole." Oh, and an elevator and getaway tunnel.

The Hernando County Sheriff's Office on March 2 arrested Eugene Paull, 66, and his girlfriend, Subrena Spence, 32, after executing a search warrant at their home at 6356 Emanuels Way in Brooksville.

Sheriff's investigators held a press conference Tuesday to reveal the unusual details. The sheriff's office waited almost a year to talk partly because of the difficulty in unraveling the complex case, and partly because the agency began using the house in sting operations.

Investigators said Paull was living under the name Robert Edward Harris, a man who died in 1945. Spence stole the identity of Carla Gwynetta Mannefee, who died in 1988, they said. In a bizarre twist, Spence married her brother so she could regain her original last name.

The pair owned two homes, a 48-foot yacht, an RV, guns and vehicles. All were seized by authorities, plus $20,000 in cash.

Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis said Paull traveled the country telling people he was raising money on behalf of U.S. military veterans. Sgt. Jeff Kraft said Paull, a Vietnam veteran, one year raised as much as $100,000, but only donated $1,300 of it.

When they arrested Paull last March, authorities discovered the trap door and underground tunnel system. The elevator leading to the tunnel was in a closet in Paull's office. It was operated by a remote control and camouflaged with removable shelves and matching paint and carpet.

After his arrest, Paull remained at the Hernando County Jail for three months until he pleaded guilty to an identity-theft charge, according to court records. He avoided money laundering charges after he surrendered more than $1 million worth of assets, Nienhuis said.

Paull was credited for time served and placed on two years probation. He has since moved to Miami, authorities said.

The vehicles were purchased in Spence's name. She was charged with five counts of use of a false name to obtain a vehicle title. She was deported to Jamaica last summer.