Colorado man charged with using phony money in Triangle

Adrian Lewis, 29, is charged with financial identity fraud, obtaining property by false pretense, attempting to obtain property by false pretense, possession of a stolen vehicle and possession of five or more counterfeit instruments. He is being held in the Wake County jail.

Investigators said a man tried to rent a room at the La Quinta Inn at 191 Crescent Commons Drive in Cary on Feb. 26 with counterfeit money but was turned away by the hotel clerk. The next morning, a pedestrian found a black backpack behind the hotel, which led Cary police to identify Lewis as the suspected counterfeiter.

Police in Denver said he was wanted in Colorado on drug charges and was believed to be in possession of a stolen car and other stolen property, authorities said.

Last Friday, Cary police located the stolen vehicle, a blue Volkswagen Jetta, in the parking lot of the Walmart at 2010 Kildaire Farm Road. Shortly after that, Apex police notified investigators that a man tried to buy a vehicle from an Apex resident using counterfeit $100 bills.

Lewis was taken into custody at the Red Roof Inn at 1800 Walnut St. in Cary, where numerous counterfeit bills in various denominations were recovered, police said.

The case remains under investigation, and anyone with information is asked to call the Cary Police Department at 919-469-4012 or Cary Crime Stoppers at 919-226-2746.