Moses Lake man steals $90K from hotel guest, buries cash in field
Aug 3, 2026, 8:44 AM
A photo of the cash seized in Moses Lake. (Photo courtesy of the Moses Lake Police Department)
(Photo courtesy of the Moses Lake Police Department)
A Moses Lake man stole $90,000 from a hotel guest last week, and after his arrest, detectives had to dig through a field to recover the cash he’d buried.
Moses Lake Police Department (MLPD) detectives continued to work through the case by use of forensic evidence and “good old-fashioned gumshoe” work, MLPD announced.
The suspect was released from jail on Tuesday even though officers were still combing the area. The suspect spoke with detectives about the outstanding money before he left town.
MLPD noted the suspect’s information was not helpful, claiming he hid the money in the area but couldn’t remember the exact location.
On July 30, detectives continued their search for the money in the dust and heat, and successfully located the remaining $50,000 buried in a field. The cash was logged into evidence and is pending a return to the owner.
“This was truly a group effort, with dozens of officers spending dozens of hours digging around in the field looking for the stolen money,” MLPD stated. “Special shout-out to Sgt. Valdez and Det. Harum, who refused to quit.”
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