The Brownwood Police Department issued the following press release Thursday morning:

On Wednesday, January 5, 2022, at approximately 6:30 a.m. officer Roberto Rodriguez was dispatched to a business in the 900 block of Booker St. regarding a report of a forgery.  The caller reported that a Hispanic male attempted to pay for food services with a counterfeit $20 bill.

When Officer Rodriguez arrived at the location, he learned that the male suspect attempted to pass the fake bill and when it was discovered to be a fake, the male handed additional fake bills; attempting to pay for the food. Restaurant employees informed the male that police were being called and he fled the scene in his pickup.

At approximately 12:00pm, Officer Rodriguez was able to locate the suspect vehicle and initiated a traffic stop in the 500 block of Andrews St. Officer Rodriguez identified the male driver/suspect as 44-year-old Jesse Joe Martinez of Brownwood. The passenger was identified as 17-year-old Joel Esteban Chavez of Brownwood. An odor of burned marijuana was detected from the vehicle and Mr Martinez admitted to having a small amount of burned marijuana cigarettes. Both subjects were instructed to exit the vehicle and a narcotics investigation commenced. During a search, a small amount of suspected methamphetamine was located on Chavez.

A search of the vehicle revealed several more counterfeit US currencies along with a Ziploc baggy containing approximately 10 grams of suspected Methamphetamine.  These items were determined to be in the possession of Martinez.

At the conclusion of the investigation, Martinez was arrested for Manufacture and Delivery of a Controlled Substance PG1, Forgery (Money), and Tampering with Evidence with Intent to Impair. Chavez was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance PG1.