Police arrested a man earlier this month on a forgery charge after he allegedly tried to purchase groceries with counterfeit money at the Family Dollar in Kremmling.
Jesse Matamales, 44, faces one felony charge of forgery after he admitted to police he used fake bills to try and buy food, according to the affidavit for his arrest.
Kremmling Police were called to the Family Dollar around 6 p.m. April 11 by an employee who suspected Matamales’ money was fraudulent. According to the affidavit, the $20 bills were thicker than usual and off-center.
Originally, Matamales told police he received the money from the sale of a motorcycle engine he sold through Facebook and was unaware the bills were fake, the affidavit says.
However, when police continued to question Matamales, he allegedly admitted he received five $20 bills from a friend who tried to sell them to him for $50 and had assumed the money was counterfeit.
According to the affidavit, Matamales also told police he was desperate and hungry. He is scheduled to appear in court July 14.
Mountain Family Center’s two food pantries remain open for pick-up during this time. The Granby location is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday and the Kremmling location is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday.
On Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., Grand County Outbreak of Kindness hands out free groceries at Big Shooters in Kremmling, the Rural Health Network Office in Hot Sulphur Springs, Granby Jones in Granby, Juniper Library in Grand Lake, Grand Mountain Bank in Fraser, Church of the Eternal Hills in Tabernash and Fontenot’s in Winter Park.
Neither program requires personal information to participate.