Man arrested on slot counterfeit charge

Tuesday, May 10, 2005 | 9:51 a.m.

A man was arrested at a small Las Vegas casino last week after putting fake $100 bills in a slot machine, according to police and court documents.

On Wednesday evening, Derek Barona, 23, was spotted using the counterfeit currency by security at the Foothills Ranch casino, a 35-slot facility on North Rancho Drive near Decatur Boulevard, according to the Metro Police report on the incident.

According to the police report, casino security officers removed 35 fictitious bills from the top of the validator on the machine that Barona and a friend were using.

Barona has been charged with forgery and burglary for counterfeiting and cheating at gambling. He is also charged with trafficking in a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance; officers who searched him at the scene found plastic bags containing methamphetamine and cocaine in his pockets.

Fake bills were found in Barona's wallet, the police report states.

According to the criminal complaint, Barona is also known as Leopoldo Urena. His alleged accomplice in the bill-passing, Joseph Bayot, was also arrested.

Metro Police referred questions about the case to the local office of the U.S. Secret Service, which typically investigates counterfeiting of American currency, but officials with that federal office said Monday the case had not been referred to them.