A routine traffic stop in Centralia Monday led to the arrest of a Tacoma woman accused of escaping her community custody supervision for a past conviction.
That was only the beginning. During the search, police allegedly found 34 bank cards — none listing the woman’s own name — and multiple fraudulent checks.
Crystal Marie Perry, 36, was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail on Oct. 27. She made a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on Tuesday the following day.
Perry remains in jail due to a hold from the state Department of Corrections (DOC).
According to the affidavit of cause filed by the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office, Centralia police were first alerted to Perry’s vehicle because its license plate tabs were expired.
Police found Perry behind the wheel and a man sitting in the passenger seat. Perry told the officer she had just bought the car from her brother.
The officer soon discovered that Perry had an active arrest warrant for escaping community custody. He searched her pockets and found a debit card listing the name of a different person.
Perry allegedly replied that she found the card at a casino.
After gaining permission, the officer searched Perry’s purse and discovered “small amount of methamphetamine and thirty-three credit/debit cards, all in the names of other individuals other than Brooks-Perry or her passenger,” the affidavit stated.
He also found two checks from an auto dealer in Edgewood, each written out to Perry for payroll purposes. When calling the dealer, however, the officer reportedly learned that Perry did not receive permission to have those checks. In fact, the manager didn’t even know who Perry was.
Centralia police subsequently secured and executed a search warrant for the vehicle.
Inside, they found more bank checks, “one of which appeared to be in the process of being washed and belonged to the US Department of Treasury,” the affidavit stated.
Police also found a wireless printer, laptop, printer ink and “multiple sheets of check paper.”
Perry now faces three counts of second-degree identity theft, three counts of second-degree possession of stolen property and one count of unlawful possession of a payment instrument.
Each charge is considered a Class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
During the preliminary hearing, Judge Paul Strophy set bail at $10,000 cash or bond. Regardless of whether she posts, Perry is still subject to a hold from the DOC.
She will look to retain private counsel and was scheduled for an arraignment on Oct. 30.
