Two arrested in Orlando, accused of trying to pass counterfeit money

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando police arrested two men for allegedly trying to pass counterfeit money at an Orlando mall.

Police said they found the suspects carrying $1,800 worth of counterfeit bills.

Antwan Thomas tried to deny his latest charges to a judge Friday.

"They said one of my bills were fake. I don't understand that," Thomas told a judge.

But police said he and Laddie Callawoy had 18 fake $100 bills when they pulled into the valet line at the Orlando Premium Outlet malls yesterday.

According to a police report, the fake bills weren't hard to spot.

The report said the two men handed one bill to the valet attendant, who immediately noticed it looked, and felt, more like play money than the really thing.

"That's not cool, you don't do that, handing out counterfeit money," said mall employee Ryan Thomas.

The attendant gave the men $90 in cash and as they walked off, police were called.

Because the Orlando Police Department's Operation Holiday Cheer was under way, it took officers only seconds to respond, police said.

A heavy police presence around the mall, which includes officers in patrol cars, on bike, on horseback and even undercover officers, makes up the operation.

Police arrested the men and said they confiscated about $2,000 in cash and their car.

Police said Thomas is already on bond for drugs and gun charges.

Despite his emotional plea to the judge, Thomas' bond was revoked.

"You can either be a dad or a lead a lifestyle that violates the law, but you can't do both," the judge told Thomas in court.

The two are charged with possession of forged bills.

This is the fourth year for the department's Operation Holiday Cheer, which runs through the January 1.

WFTV