An Oregon man accused of running a Coinstar machine scam at Safeway and Fred Meyer stores in Washington is now facing forgery and theft charges in Kittitas County.
Brian Crist George, 61, of Sweet Home, Oregon, is scheduled to be arraigned in Kittitas County Superior Court this week on felony charges connected to the alleged scheme.
According to Ellensburg police, authorities began investigating George in June after learning of an ongoing operation to defraud stores using Coinstar kiosks—machines that convert loose change into cash receipts.
Detectives from the Pasco Police Department alerted local law enforcement after a license plate linked to two men involved in the scam was detected by Flock license-plate cameras in Ellensburg. One of those suspects was identified as George.
Investigators say the suspects would deposit a small amount of change into a Coinstar machine, receive a legitimate receipt, then later return with a fraudulent receipt showing a much higher amount to cash out at customer service.
Store employees at Ellensburg’s Safeway and Fred Meyer cooperated with police, who discovered two suspicious receipts — one for $130.98 and another for $181.84 — printed on a different type of paper.
Surveillance footage showed a man wearing an orange shirt, black hat, and sunglasses presenting the fake receipts. Investigators identified the suspect as Brian Crist George, based on a distinct tattoo on his right arm, according to court documents.
