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Man Paid For Lap Dances With Fake Bills, Police Say

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By HOWARD ALTMAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 1, 2008

TAMPA - Walberto Ramirez went to the DejÀ Vu Showgirls club on Adamo Drive and received three lap dances early Sunday, according to the Tampa Police Department.

Now, the 19-year-old carwash worker from Kissimmee is accused of using fake $20 bills to pay a dancer, according to an arrest affidavit.

Club managers said the counterfeit bills were poorly made, and they quickly realized they were fake and notified police. Ten minutes later when officers arrived, Ramirez was still there. They asked him to empty his pockets and found five fake $20 bills, the affidavit said.

"All of the bills were obvious fakes with no watermarks and poor quality," the arresting officer wrote.

The dancer, whose stage name is Malana, went to a back room with Ramirez "and did a dance special with him - three for $60," said Eric Terrell, DejÀ Vu's general manager. "He was so nice to tip her $20 more."

The dancer immediately noticed the bills were fake and notified management.

Once he saw the bills, Terrell said, he called police.

"The bills looked like paper," he said. "They glowed in the black light we have up front, like they were made on copy paper or something."

Ramirez was charged with possession of forged bills and using forged bills, both felonies. He posted $4,000 bail and was released.

Terrell said the club doesn't cover money entertainers lose to counterfeiters. The dancer, however, didn't have to pay the fee for using the location.

"If she wants to press charges, that's on her," Terrell said.

Editor Howard Altman can be reached at (813) 259-7629 or haltman@tampatrib.com.

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