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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A city man who Plains Township police caught with counterfeit cash pleaded guilty to related charges in Luzerne County Court.</p><p>Imar Pena, 20, of Darling Street, stood before Judge Joseph Sklarosky Jr. on Monday and pleaded guilty to two counts of forgery and one count each of criminal conspiracy to commit theft and possessing instruments of crime.</p><p>Police in court records say Pena and Elvis Balbuena, 20, of Brooklyn, NY, were found walking in the middle of state Route 315 on Feb. 22.</p><p>Pena and Balbuena matched the descriptions of two men who walked out of Sheetz, Route 315, where they attempted to pass a counterfeit $100, court records say.</p><p>Police said they left the store after a clerk wrote &#8220;fake&#8221; on the bill.</p><p>When Balbuena and Pena were searched, officers found three $100 bills in a backpack Balbuena was carrying.</p><p>Four more counterfeit $100 bills were found hidden in Balbuena&#8217;s anus during a strip search.</p><p>Balbuena refused to remove the bills from his anus and was told he would be taken to a hospital to have the fake currency removed.</p><p>While in a holding cell, police said a video camera recorded Balbuena removing the bills from his anus and placing them in his mouth, court records say.</p><p>Pena is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 19.</p><p>In a related case, Pena is facing forgery and possessing instruments of crime in connection to passing counterfeit bills at Sheetz on Wilkes-Barre Township Boulevard, Wilkes-Barre, on Feb. 21.</p><p>Balbuena pleaded guilty to possessing instruments of crime and tampering with evidence. He was sentenced to one year probation on June 10. </p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_Imar-Pena-02222019.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Pena </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_Imar-Pena-02222019.jpg</photo0><caption0>Pena </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_Elvis-Balbuena-02222019.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Balbuena </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_Elvis-Balbuena-02222019.jpg</photo1><caption1>Balbuena </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre man pleads guilty to possessing counterfeit cash