Woman arrested after trying to pass fake $20 bill

MOSES LAKE — A wanted woman was taken into custody over the weekend after she allegedly attempted to pass a fake bill at a Moses Lake gas station.

Samantha Adams, 27, was arrested on Sunday after she reportedly tried to pass a fake $20 bill at a gas station in the 3000 block of West Broadway Avenue. The bill in question reportedly read “For Motion Picture Purposes” and the clerk told Adams she knew the bill was a fake.

Adams allegedly took the bill and left the business before police arrived. She later reportedly returned to the gas station, purchased snack items and left the area in the same vehicle she was in when she attempted to pass the fake bill. Moses Lake police later located and pulled over the vehicle. Adams, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was taken into custody for numerous warrants she had out for her arrest. Adams claimed she never attempted to pass a fake $20 bill.

She also said a bag in the car did not belong to her, but the two males in the vehicle also denied the bag belonged to them. The bag was searched and police reportedly located heroin, drug paraphernalia and 12 fake $20 bills in the bag.

Adams had been on the run since Feb. 11 after she allegedly stole over $1,100 worth of merchandise from the Moses Lake Walmart. Court documents indicate Adams was contacted by police and handcuffed, but she was reportedly able to escape by running through a nearby field. Adams’ alleged accomplice, identified as Joseph Montes, 29, was taken into custody and is currently charged in Grant County Superior Court with possession of heroin, first-degree criminal trespassing and resisting arrest.

Court documents state Montes and Adams are suspects, and were charged, in connection with a number of different thefts and burglaries in Grant County over the past year or so.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.