Key West man accused of placing tracking devices on two people’s cars
A Key West man is accused of placing Apple AirTags on two peoples’ cars to illegally track them, according to police.
Key West detectives’ investigation dates to Nov. 8 when two people went to police after receiving cell phone notifications alerting them that an unrecognized AirTag was detected near them and tracking their location, said Alyson Crean, spokeswoman for the police department.
Apple introduced the AirTag in 2021 to help people track their belongings. But, criminals soon began using the small devices to illegally stalk victims. Since then, Apple updated its security measures so a person’s iPhone would alert them if an unknown AirTag was tracking them.
Beeping sound got louder
That’s what happened when two people were leaving the Overseas Market on North Roosevelt Boulevard in Key West in early November, Crean said. One of them had utilized the “play sounds” feature on her phone and began hearing a beeping sound that grew louder as she neared the rear passenger side of her car, Crean said.
When she crawled underneath the vehicle, she found a magnetic device wrapped in black duct tape that contained an AirTag attached to the wheel well, Crean said.
Police found a similarly attached AirTag located on the spare tire underneath the vehicle of the second person, said Crean. Both devices were deactivated by the time the people arrived at the police station, Crean said.
Working with agents from the Department of Homeland Security, detectives connected the devices’ subscriber information to 52-year-old Mariusz Swiecicki of Key West, Crean said.
Man confessed
On Friday, detectives went to his house and interviewed him. They “allowed him to review the overwhelming amount of evidence collected against him during their investigation,” Crean said.
Swiecicki confessed to placing the AirTags on both cars and was arrested on two counts of installation or use of tracking devices, which are third-degree felonies, Crean said. If convicted, Swieckicki could face up to 15 years in prison.
Swieckicki was released from jail on a $70,000 bond Saturday, according to Monroe County Sheriff’s Office records. He could not be reached for comment, and information on his legal representation was not immediately available.
Crean said detectives are continuing their investigation to determine motive and if there are more victims. Key West police are also asking anyone in the area to come forward if they too recently received notifications of an unknown AirTag detected near them.
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Former school board member case involved AirTags
Another recent instance in which a person is accused of using AirTags to track another person is the grand theft and fraud case against former Miami-Dade County School Board member Lubby Navarro. Navarro, 50, was arrested last January and has been accused of using her work credit cards to rack up nearly $100,000 in personal bills.
Among those purchases were AirTags she used to keep tabs on a former boyfriend, prosecutors say. Navarro has pleaded not guilty in that case, which is pending in Miami-Dade Circuit Court.
