Motel manager arrested for drugs, forgery
Moses Lake Police Department/courtesy photo Brandi Smithers, 28, a manager at a motel in Moses Lake, was arrested on Monday after she reportedly used a customer’s credit card information to purchase pizza for her and her friends.
MOSES LAKE — A motel manager in Moses Lake was arrested earlier this week for drugs and allegedly using a customer’s credit card information to buy pizza.
On Monday the Moses Lake Police Department received a call from a male in Arizona who claimed someone used his card at a pizza restaurant in Moses Lake and pizza was delivered to the Imperial Motel on West Broadway Avenue. Police investigated the report and learned Brandi Smithers, 28, who identified herself as the manager at the Imperial Motel, stole a customer’s credit card information during the customer’s previous stay at the motel. Smithers allegedly used the credit card number to order pizza for her and her friends, according to information provided by the police department.
Officers reportedly located three subjects in Smithers’ room at the motel. A male allegedly had a bloody arm when he left the room and told police he was attempting to finish injecting heroin before he came out.
A search warrant was served and officers recovered an ounce of heroin, methamphetamine, the stolen pizzas, the stolen credit card information and drug paraphernalia. Smithers was booked into the Grant County Jail for possession of heroin, possession of meth, forgery and second-degree theft. The MLPD reports Smithers is no stranger to drug-related investigations. On Dec. 1 the MLPD served a search warrant at Smithers’ room at the Imperial Motel in connection with another drug trafficking investigation.
“In that case, the ‘customers’ were not to be deterred by the presence of police officers, and continued to knock on the hotel door trying to buy drugs, only to be arrested by the officers inside,” MLPD Capt. Mike Williams stated.
Officers reportedly located meth and heroin during the investigation.
“The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges are pending. We are committed to pursuing all possible criminal and administrative options to stop the ongoing criminal activity at this location, particularly by motel employees,” Williams said.