A Nesquehoning man is charged with passing counterfeit $50 bills.

Max E. Gasker, 36, of 147 E. Garibaldi Ave., was charged with theft by deception by borough Officer Steven Homanko.According to an affidavit of probable cause, Homanko was dispatched to the Dogg House Saloon on May 21 on a report of counterfeit money being used.He spoke with the owner, Nicholas Cuono, who said someone passed two fake $50 bills in the bar over the weekend. Cuono discovered the counterfeit bills as he made a bank deposit. Homanko went to the bank and got copies of the counterfeit bills.Cuono contacted his brother, Christopher Cuono, who worked at the bar over that weekend. The brother identified Gasker as the only person to pay with $50 bills. On May 29, Chrisptopher Cuono came to the police station to sign a statement to that effect.Later that day, Homanko contacted Gasker to ask him to come to the station to talk about the incident, but Gasker refused.