PORT ANGELES — While trying to avoid police last week, Nathan Wayne Terry sent a text message that said he dumped $4,000 in fake cash in a trash bin downtown, police say.
The counterfeit bills have not been recovered, despite police Dumpster-diving that same day.
“We checked all the Dumpsters and recycle bins and so forth,” said Port Angeles Detective Bruce Knight.
Deputy Police Chief Brian Smith said it remains undetermined whether the stash was dumped in a bin or taken somewhere else.
No more reports of funny money being passed have surfaced since Terry and two other Port Angeles residents were arrested March 10 on investigation of running a counterfeit operation, Smith said.
Smith said that could mean that the counterfeit bills are not being used or are being spent outside of Port Angeles.
“What that would tell me,” he said, “is that it’s possible that there isn’t additional money in circulation.”
Smith said someone may be holding onto the fake bills until it seems safer to use them.
He said it’s also possible that the $4,000 Terry, 21, may have tossed was not picked up and was taken to a dump.
The total amount of fake cash made, or how long the operation was running, remains unknown, but police think that as much as $4,000 could be circulating in the area, based on Terry’s text.
Knight said that he believes Terry was simply trying to get rid of the counterfeit bills before he was caught by police. He doesn’t think that he was trying to get someone to pick it up.
Terry was arrested after a clerk at Liquid Fuels, 210 E. First St., realized a $20 bill he was trying to use was fake. The clerk said that he called the police and Terry fled.
Police caught up with him later that day.
Terry has been charged with forgery as well as an unrelated charge of residential burglary in Clallam County Superior Court.
Two others, Estene Marie Pass, 41, and Michael Harry Lyman, 49, were arrested at 1308 E. Front St., No. 16, the location of the counterfeit operation, on March 12.
Pass is charged with forgery and possession of marijuana. Lyman is charged with forgery, possession of methamphetamine and three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm.
Knight said it appears that the counterfeit operation was done independently.
Lyman and Pass allegedly used a computer and printer to make the fake bills.
Smith initially said the fake money was made from the same bill, but Knight said Thursday that police have four in evidence.
Three are 20s and one is a five-dollar bill.
The serial numbers for the 20s are GL08467632A, EF31739010C and IL26814884C.
The five-dollar bill’s serial number is FD24629404A.
Knight said regular printer paper was not used. He said the paper is “more expensive” but didn’t have any more information.
The bills appear real, he said, but they do feel different from legitimate bills, Knight said.
Port Angeles police are urging anyone who comes across the fake bills to contact them at 360-452-4545.
Knight said anyone who sees a person trying to pass the bills should phone 9-1-1.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
