4 Arrested With Counterfeit $50 Bills

Four men believed to be Mexican nationals were arrested at the Orange County Fairgrounds at noon Saturday for allegedly trying to pass a counterfeit $50 bill, Costa Mesa police Sgt. Neil Leveratt said.

The swap meet vendor became suspicious because the bill was of poor quality and alerted the reserve officers at the fairgrounds, who tracked down the suspects and arrested them, Leveratt said.

“After the arrests they recovered 27 counterfeit $50 bills,” said Leveratt. U.S. Secret Service agents were interviewing the suspects Saturday night, he said.

The four men, who are believed to be visiting from Mexico, were staying in a hotel in Fullerton. Leveratt identified them as Juan Jose Cuarenta, 40; Francisco Javier Bece, 40; Leonel Abundez Nunez, 42; and Humberto Arreola Butchart, 37.