The arrest of a man suspected of gambling with bogus $100 bills at the Morongo Casino triggered a counterfeit currency investigation involving the U.S. Secret Service, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department reported Friday.
Movses Dermisyan, 22, of North Hollywood was detained when a dealer in a high-stakes room at the casino suspected him of trying to use five counterfeit $100 bills while playing blackjack around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, sheriff's Sgt. James Burton said.
"Dermisyan claimed he only had the five $100 bills on him, but a subsequent search of his person revealed an additional $2,100 in fictitious bills,'' Burton said.
Special agents from the Secret Service were asked to help with the investigation "due to the unusually large volume and sophistication of the currency,'' Burton said.
Dermisyan was booked Thursday at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility but was no longer in custody, jail records showed. Bail information was unavailable.