Parolee driving stolen car found with thousands in faux cash in Irvine

A man who was already on parole for auto theft was arrested last week when he was found behind the wheel of a different stolen car that had thousands of dollars worth of phony cash in Orange County. 

Officers at the Irvine Spectrum shopping center came in contact with the man, identified as 31-year-old Huntington Beach resident Johnny Lucero Berlino, in a parking lot after the car he was driving was found to be displaying a lost or stolen license plate, according to a Facebook post from the Irvine Police Department. 

During their investigation, officers discovered stolen mail and credit cards inside of the car, an unreported stolen vehicle, along with $2,700 in counterfeit money. 

Investigators believe that he purchased the car with other phony money. 

Berlino was arrested and booked at the Orange County Jail on multiple felony charges, police said.