Report of Counterfeiting Leads to Arrest of Suspects and the Woman Reporting

Lemus, left. Jaramillo, right. Arrest reports here.

Mendocino County Sheriff Press Release:

On 10-24-12 at approximately 8:15 PM, Deputies from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a reported robbery of marijuana. While the Deputies were en route, the caller, 32 year-old Kristen Wright of Leggett, advised that no actual robbery had been committed.

Wright advised that she had arranged to sell ten pounds of marijuana to three men for $20,000. They had given her four bundles of cash which they had represented as being $20,000 in US currency.  The men fled with the marijuana just as Wright realized that only the bills on the top side of the stacks were $100 bills, the rest were $1 bills.  She had been left with slightly over four hundred dollars, not the $20,000 they had agreed upon.

Wright and a male companion followed the suspects as they drove south from the intersection of Hwy 1 and Hwy 101 in Leggett. Two of the suspects were in a dark Scion. The third man drove a light colored sedan.  MCSO Deputies intercepted the Scion occupied by two of the suspects, Christopher Jaramillo, age 18, of Willington, CA and Jose Lemus, age 20, of San Pedro, CA, in the 44800 block of Hwy 101 in Laytonville. Over ten pounds of marijuana was located inside the car.  Kristen Wright arrived at the scene a short time later.

Lemus and Jaramillo were arrested for possession of marijuana for sale, transportation of marijuana and conspiracy. Wright was arrested for possession of marijuana for sale. All were transported to Ukiah and lodged in the Mendocino County Jail, with bail set at $30,000.00 each. The third male suspect was never located.