it's almost like we've pushed him into the corner one it's midnight on the bustling las vegas strip. and the high life is in full swing. but in a dark corner of town, something else is going down. this man is stealing a car. what he doesn't know is that the police are watching. and so are we. on the other side of las vegas -- these people are talking business.

>> nice to finally meet you. >> selling stolen merchandise. this woman has cards. >> so does he. >> this guy has guns. this man is selling counterfeit money. he's even holding a class on how to make the fake bills. they all think they're dealing with other crooks. >> between the two of these guys, they're on a crime spree. >> but they're really selling to cops. back on the strip, this man and woman are talking about sex. >> i mean a pretty girl like yourself can get as much money as she's looking for. >> he thinks she's a prostitute and seems to be offering his

services as a pimp. >> somebody to give me guidance. >> do give you guidance. >> he doesn't know ha that she's really a detective and we're watching from only a few feet away. he is very confident, he's not even looking around. >> tonight you'll go behind the scenes like never before with the las vegas metropolitan police department. undercover as it happens to solve crime and you'll hear what suspected criminals have to say for themselves. >> chris hansen with "dateline," nbc. how you doing? what about at the restaurant when she says -- >> was y'all following us around at the restaurant that time? >> i'll get do that in a little bit. i have a videotape i think you might want to see, can i play it for you? >> sure. more than 30 million tourists will visit las vegas this year and while they eat, drink and play, another side of vegas is hard at work, criminals scamming, stealing cars and selling sex. that's where the cops come in over the past year, we've been watching undercover operations of the las vegas metropolitan police department. one of the most proactive in the

country. >> you have to be creative in your approach to law enforcement. the criminal element is, so you have to be as well. >> sheriff doug gillespie is the man in charge. >> if you continue to go after them the same way that you always have, what you're going to get the same results. >> one of the biggest problems? car theft. >> auto theft is a prime example. we were going after auto theft from traditional ways. and then we brought in some nontraditional ways. >> enter members of a special auto theft unit called the viper squad. lieutenant bobby duvall who runs the unit has a warning for car thieves. >> las vegas is not the place to come and steal cars. it really isn't. >> his detectives use bait cars that are strategically placed to present an opportunity for potential thieves. all rigged with hidden cameras. >> we've got state-of-the-art bait car program. we have one of the largest fleets in the united states.

and we have guys that know how to work them. >> tonight the bait car is a 2006 escalade. the cops fake a fight between a man and a woman. where did they get the idea? >> it is based on actual cases where people have had their cars stolen. >> in the commotion, they pretend to abandon the bait car still running. this man spots the car, gets in and looks around. but he doesn't take the bait. and leaves. moments later, this suv pulls up across the street. this man gets in and begins to drive away. and within minutes, he pulls over. that's when police move in. >> hands up, hands up! >> they arrest two men, the driver and his accomplice, a man named frankie, who i get a chance to talk to. >> chris hansen with "dateline," nbc. >> that's where i remember you

from. "to catch a predator." >> you watch "to catch a predator"? >> yeah. did you like it? >> guess who we're catching now? >> car theft, auto thieves. >> there you go. >> tell me what happened tonight. >> there was people fighting, a white guy and a white lady fighting. the white lady got out the car and took off with the white guy in another truck. so me and my friend went down there to go see what was going on. and he took the truck. >> so was it just an impulse thing? >> pretty much. >> spr of the moment? >> yeah. >> you're in a bit of a jam right now. >> oh yeah, oh yeah. >> how old are you? >> 19. >> have you ever been busted before? >> i've never done nothing wrong. >> never taken any cars? >> no. >> gone to jail? >> no. >> clean record. been to court once. >> for what? >> driving on a permit. that's about it. >> what's your biggest regret tonight? >> getting in the truck and

going over there. that's the biggest regret i have right now. >> so you're facing serious charges here tonight. >> yeah. >> at 19 years old. >> uh-huh. it's just one bad judgment call. >> frankie is pleading guilty to attempting to possess a stolen vehicle. detective duvall hopes his arrest serve as as a warning to others. >> first of all hopefully people will get the message you don't steal cars in las vegas. second message is that if you do, you could run into one of ours. >> unfortunately, that doesn't always happen. this woman had her car stolen at gun-point. >> did he point the gun at you? >> yes. well, the whole time it was pointed at me. >> would the thief who did it ever be found? that leads us to another undercover operation going on in vegas. we're watching that one, too. and once again, the bad guys don't know it. that's next and coming up

later -- >> i mean i can't do things for free. >> we're just a few feet away from a bold crackdown right on the strip and someone is surprised to see us. what would happen -- >> i would have walked to the 7-eleven and went home and watched "dateline" tomorrow with somebody else in the news. >> still ahead on "vegas undercover."

behind every car that's stolen there's an all too real victim. >> somebody just stole my car. i was actually at work. i was working late and i was in the office by myself. >> 23-year-old monique was about to leave her office when a man approached her and asked to use the phone. >> i was in the middle of asking him oh, you need to use the phone whenever i looked up and saw the gun. >> he said give me your keys.

>> are you okay? >> yeah. >> the man wanted her cadillac parked outside. >> it was just unreal. you see this on tv and you never think it's going to happen. >> do you want medical or anything? >> no. >> it's pretty scary, i know. >> but the las vegas police know it happens all too often and they know when thieves steal cars or other items, it's more than likely they'll be looking for a place to sell the goods. >> our shop is coming up on the righthand side. >> so the las vegas intelligence unit run by lieutenant dave logue has rented this little shop. >> it's a fencing operation? >> it's a fencing operation. where you can bring stolen high-end electronics, guns, vehicles, no questions asked and you'll get paid cash for it over the table. >> undercover detectives will pose as crooks who buy hot items. the shop is tucked away in an industrial area off the vegas strip and masquerades as a place that sells car audio systems. everything in the store front is a prop with a purpose.

>> even things like this, the 8-ball, the rubik's cube, why do you have these out here on the countertop? >> everything in this office is pretty much wiped down after every deal in order to gather information from fingerprints, if need be. >> police have rigged this shop with hidden cameras and we've been allowed to install some of our own. there's a camera hidden right here. there's one up here. there's another camera hidden right here. how dangerous is it for you to do an investigation? >> for the undercover officers that are dealing directly at this counter? it's very dangerous. because -- >> you don't know who's going to pull out a gun. >> absolutely. >> while the undercover officers are out front, they're under constant surveillance from this back room. >> so in one of the deals is going down, there are undercover officers right here, hands on their guns, ready to pop out here in case something goes bad. the word is out on the street that the owners of the so-called audio shop actually buy stolen goods.

now it's time for the customers. >> come on in, sweetie. >> meet sheryl miller, also known as chevy. a 40-year-old mother of three. today she's selling a 2002 ford mustang. >> is it in good shape? >> oh, cray, it's awesome. >> she said a friend of hers reported the car stolen in order to collect the insurance. >> they turned it in for insurance or whatever. they just -- >> they just want it to disappear? >> exactly. >> another day, chevy is back and says she and some of her friends have guns. >> it's a, a 12-gauge and a .380. they're rifles. >> they're all rifles? >> yeah, .308. >> but she says her forte is forgery. making fake checks. >> i've been doing it for 12 years. >> chevy is now a regular and begins to bring her friends to the shop. the undercover cops are doing a bang-up business. characters of all kinds come by.

this man has some large guns. >> what we got? what we got? >> this is a little like a stiff body. >> it fires .357 shells. >> here comes britney an unlikely-looking suspect. >> where are you from? >> alaska. >> alaska? >> today she's come with a 2006 dodge pick-up truck. she said it was taken from a man she knows. >> i just robbed him. >> she also says she's got guns, lots of them. the cops working this operation are a tight-knit group of especially trained undercover detectives. when you do one of these deals, it is not just another day at the office, is it? >> it's never just another day at the office. >> we've hidden their faces to protect their identities. what do you want folks to know the most about this case. >> there's lots of unconventional ways we're going to go after these people.

we're doing everything we can to get them. and try to be creative and getting these people off the street and put them in prison. >> one thing these detectives were surprised about, was how many women showed up. like allison, a 43-year-old single mother, she's here to sell this stolen ford thunderbird. >> is the ac broken in it? >> i don't know. i didn't touch anything. >> she says she's selling the car for a friend. and doesn't know if it's been reported stolen yet. >> i've been driving it up and down boulder highway. >> allison tells the undercover detectives she knows someone who can come up with a fake title for the car. >> i have a girlfriend who works down at one of the tow places and she does the titles. that's what she does. so i'm going to get her to make a title for it, because she said she would. >> they settle on a price, $200. >> that's fine. you know what, if you handed me a dollar right now, i would have taken it.

>> this is kyle kennedy. he and a friend have come in to sell a stolen suv. the cops make him feel right at home. soon, he reveals he's just become a father. >> so dude, you got a baby, huh? >> yeah. >> not your average family man. >> i would have kicked her to the curb a long time ago, but i have a kid, you know. >> soon they get down to business and settle on a price. >> well let's just do $550. >> $550 for a car worth $25,000. kyle and his friend leave with the cash. police let kyle walk so they don't blow their cover. the plan is to arrest all the suspects once the operation has ended. two weeks later kyle is back with a cadillac. and now he's bragging to the cops about how he stole it using a weapon. >> yeah, i more or less took it. like strong-armed with a gun.

>> and whose car is it? >> and he said i'm going to need your keys. >> it's monique's. remember, she was the run robbed at gun-point. now that police know kyle is violent, they can't let him walk. >> this person has to be removed from the street as quickly as possible. >> but the trick is to not tip him off that the storefront is really a police operation. lieutenant bobby duvall handles the arrest. >> the operation tonight is to safely take him into custody and get him in jail. >> they're not going to tell kyle he was caught in a sting. they come up for another excuse, they pull him over and tell him his victim picked him out of a photo lineup. so he still has no idea how he was really caught. >> can i ask what's going on? >> kyle, who is serving a prison term on other charges, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one to four years in prison for his storefront crimes. police ultimately caught this guy. >> yes. >> how did that feel?

>> it was incredible. before this, i thought that cops, they don't really do anything, they just drive around. >> turns out in vegas, police do a lot. >> it's just all about negotiation. >> undercover detectives are everywhere. and it isn't only car thieves they're after. >> her target audience is going to be a pimp. >> a pimp. >> hi, honey.

ooñ?wswxçñw?ó?y?oç?oññk this woman looks like a prostitute and is acting like one. >> hi, honey. >> but she's really an undercover detective with a specialized squad called the pimp investigative team. p.i.t. for short. how do you prepare for your role? >> i have a story that i usually stick to i usually stick to that same story all night long. and i go over that in my mind multiple times. >> her store i?

she's a new arrival in las vegas and is trying prostitution for the first time. hadder supervisor, lieutenant karen hughes runs the vice unit. >> she's going to be out there and her target audience, so to speak, is going to be a pimp. >> a pimp. >> somebody that's going to be out there recruiting for new girls in his stable. >> i would do anything for the right money. >> tonight we watch as the operation begins off the strip at a known hooker hangout. >> you want a date or what? >> and within minutes, she's propositioned by customers again and again. more than a dozen times within 30 minutes. but the real target, the pimps, are nowhere to be seen. she seems to know pretty quickly whether or not she's dealing with a pimp or a john. >> yes. >> so just after midnight they move to a different location right on the vegas strip. almost immediately, she's approached by this man while we watch from just a few feet away. >> i know a few services out here i can introduce you to.

>> the undercover police officer was literally on this street for less than four minutes when she was approached. that you can see, the conversation is continuing, if she didn't think he was a pimp, she would have walked away by now. >> it's just all about negotiation. >> the suspected pimp suggests one of his favorite ways to advertise her services.

it can get scary sometimes, you have to have somebody -- >> can i get your number? >> get my number, but you going to have to may me pore it. >> going to have to what? >> you're going to have to may me for it. >> can i pay you after i see this guy? >> if you're approaching a guy like me, a lot of guys would dry to take you. they walk into a casino. that's when the undercover cop hands him the cash she says is from the trick she just turned. and police move in. he agrees to talk to me before he heads off to jail. hey christopher, chris hansen with "dateline" nbc, can you tell me what happened tonight? >> just hanging out, man. >> the suspect insists he never approached her.

it was the other way around. >> who made the first contact. >> she made eye contact with me. >> she made eye contact. >> i said hey, she said hey. she's a good-looking woman. i'm a good-looking dude. that's what i felt attracted her to me. >> but the real question, was it all about prostitution. did you tell her you'd be her pimp? >> i never had, i never been a pimp in my life. >> you've never been a pimp in your life? >> i'm not a pimp. >> but you see how this looks. >> i see how it looks, but it what it looks is not what it really is, you know. i understand that this was a sting operation. i understand that i feel like i've been victimized. i understand that i'm going to jail right now. >> but you didn't have it take her money, you didn't have to promise her certain things. that a pimp would promise. >> the economy is bad, i can't find a job nowhere. my intentions wasn't to come out here and do this, my intention was to come out, get a couple of drinks and go back home. >> what would have happened had she not been there? >> i would have walked to the 7-eleven, put time on my phone, went home and would have been

watched "dateline" nbc tomorrow with somebody else in the news. >> christopher pleaded guilty to pandering and was sentenced to three years probation. as you can see, the idea that prostitution is tolerated in vegas is a myth. there's an image, i would say that some people have of prostitution in las vegas. being this glamorous high-class world of call girls. >> that's a fallacy. it is a violent, it's vile, it's degrading. >> this woman says she was caught up in that violent world, a victim she says, of a pimp. who lured here to las vegas for prostitution. >> there are plenty of other girls out there just like me. >> now the police will be coming to her rescue. that's next, and coming up later -- money for nothing? we'll take you to a secret garage where somebody is cooking up counterfeits. >> he's showing how to clean the bills. >> but the guy who thinks he's cashing in may soon be paying up.

>> dude, you just solved our problem. >> still ahead on "vegas undercover." oóñ

donna miranda is in trouble and she called the police for help. her story? she came to vegas to meet a man named steven harris and she claims he tried to intimidate her into working for him as a prostitute.

how did that all start? >> you know, girls are young and naive and they'll pretty much believe anything that a sweet guy has to say to him and that's what i did. and there are a plenty of other girls out there just like me. >> it started as an online relationship. >> everything seemed to be great. he promised me the world. >> but she said that all changed and that's why the pimp investigative team is gathered in this parking lot. she told the bliss what happened while she and her new boyfriend were the a dinner one night. >> there were a couple of gentlemen over there and he said why don't you see what you can do for us. i thought he was kidding, so i laughed it off. but when they got back to her house, donna said harris let her know he wasn't joking. >> he said now you don't make your own decision, he said you were supposed to go talk to those gentlemen like i told you and make us some money.

i was packing my stuff, he came over and put his right around around my stomach, i tried to pull aand he threw me across the room. >> terrified, she fled the house barefoot. >> i just ran out the front door. >> that's when she called 911. it turns out after donna 911 harris called police as well. claim he was the victim. that she hit him. >> well, my girlfriend got into a little agitated with me and hit me repeatedly and kicked me and kind of went crazy. >> but police didn't believe him. especially since he's been arrested for pandering before. now the pimp investigative team wants to bring harris in. they asked donna to call him and arrange a meeting. >> i know we got off on the wrong foot. and that you know, things went sour or whatever. >> she tries to get harris to make admissions on the phone.

>> you want me to be the only and biggest source of income. >> in the end, he declines to meet her. police decide to close in on his house with a s.w.a.t. team. >> steven harris, come outside and do it now. >> but harris isn't there. and his neighbor isn't surprised to see the police. >> what kind of neighbor was he? >> the police were here at least half a dozen times. and there were a couple times they brought him in. and he was crying. like a baby. >> hey, steven, how you doing, man? >> detectives come up with another plan. they tell harris to meet them at a starbucks so they can sort out what happened. they tell him they're investigating whether donna really did start the fight. >> you know, i obviously haven't gotten a chance to talk to you, i want to talk to you a little about what happened the other night. she gave me her side of the story. >> and harris takes the bait. it's about five minutes after 2:00. harris said he would be here at the starbucks at 2:00 to meet with the detective.

when harris shows up, the cops move in and arrest him. he agrees to talk to me. i'm chris hansen, "dateline," nice to see you. i would shake your hand, except -- we're doing the story and on pimps. in las vegas. >> looky for me, huh. >> lucky for you, do you ever see our show, to catch a predator? >> 17 or something? >> no, no. >> harris says he did nothing wrong. that donna found him online. her photos may be what attracted him. what was your plan for donna? >> i was going to make her my lady. >> your lady? >> yeah, my woman. >> harris insists he's not a pimp and never asked donna to approach a group of men when they were out to dinner. >> what about at the restaurant that time when she says -- >> was y'all following us around at the restaurant. >> i'll get to that in a bit. >> i if i was a so-called pimp, i would never let someone of my girls go 0-and solicit.

why would i do that. if i was a pimp, i wouldn't do that. >> and remember, he called police to say donna hit him. not the other way around. >> so you're the victim here? >> honestly, i am the victim. first she beats me up, i call domestic violence on her and i'm going to jail for pimping. honestly i am the victim here. >> before he goes to jail, harris offers a word of advice. >> that's our system, that's what i want folks to know. men if you think you want to call the cops because your spouse beats you up, you might want to think about that again. >> i appreciate you talking to me. >> no problem, i appreciate you guys talking to me. >> keep up the good work, i like that show. >> you take care. harris pleaded guilty to pandering. while the pimp squad takes harris away. the undercover storefront is still attracting suspects who seem to think they have a license to steal. but one in particular thinks he has a license to print money.

>> see, i made so much money off this [ bleep ] it's unbelievable. >> that's next and coming up later -- is that you right there? >> yeah. >> they're back. it's a round-up of suspects and they're caught by surprise when they learn they're caught on tape. >> did you try to sell some counterfeit money? >> no, i didn't do that, no. >> i have a videotape that i think you might want to see. >> still ahead on "vegas undercover."

for the past nine months inside the undercover fencing operation, police have purchased items you would expect from thieves, cars and guns. now, they encounter something

they never imagined -- it's certainly something we've never seen. meet 39-year-old brian rusty king. his merchandise? counterfeit $100 bills. fake money he says is a profitable business. >> i made so much money off this [ bleep ], it's unbelievable. in his pocket, $2,000 worth of the fakes. >> what do you have on you right now? >> a couple grand. >> he hands the bogus bills from the undercover cops. where does he get the counterfeits? he says from some really scary guys. >> they don't [ bleep ] around, they're real serious people. there's no joking around, lafring. >> the undercover cops carefully examine the bills and offer to pay 25 cents on the dollar. he takes the $500 in real currency for the $2,000 in counterfeits. how does he keep his bills straight? >> i carry two wallets. one with the real money.

>> rusty says passing counterfeit money has not been difficult. he says he simply spends real money in a store, gets change from the clerk and then quickly finds an excuse to introduce a fake bill. >> and then i turn around like i'm going to walk away and then i go, oh, i'll throw it down and get some change. they'll give it to you, they don't think to sit there and look at it. >> he claims some of the money is also passed into circulation by an insider at a casino. he says takes his fake bills and gives him real currency. >> i got one guy in the casino. we got like six different people who walk in and they'll take like $500 apiece and they go to the [ bleep ] cashier's cage, give them the money and he takes it. but the way he inserts it and turn it is in, i guess somehow he's mixing it up. >> rusty says the counterfeiters have been trying to refine the process in an effort to improve

the product. in fact, he says, they're holding back some recently printed bills to make sure they're just perfect. >> we're waiting now just to see, hold the bill for a couple of days. and see if anything -- anything funny happens like you know, changes colors or anything weird. >> the cops want to know more about how these bills are made. a lot more. so a few weeks later, rusty is back. now rusty tells them -- he's on his own. there aren't any partners. and this time, in a garage behind the storefront, for $1500, he will give them a demonstration in the fine art of counterfeiting. we're watching from the back room. rusty has no idea that he's talking to undercover police officers. first, he takes real $5 bills and sets out to remove all of their ink. apparently making counterfeit money isn't as high-tech as one would imagine. he soaks them in a degreaser bought in an automotive store

and heat them up for a minute or so in a microwave oven. >> leave them in there one and a half minutes. ten minutes in there. >> he teaches them how to brush the bills clean. >> rusty is showing the undercover officers how to clean the bills. actually taking the ink right off. he finishes washing the bill in a bowl of water and spray it is with a household cleaner. this is giving new meaning to the phrase laundering money. and then he use as hair dryer to finish the drying process. when he's done, what used to be a $5 bill is virtually blank. except for the watermark of abraham lincoln. >> what is that called? >> that's abraham. >> to make the fake $100, he'll use an ink jet printer. >> ink jet printer, never laser?

>> right. >> he scan as photo of a real $100 bill. >> i scan this every time. >> and prints it on top of the blank paper he just created from that $5. >> dude, i think you just solved our problem. >> the job is finished, the result? a counterfeit $100 bill. what's the quality? the police say as counterfeits go, it's fairly good. >> if someone were to take the time to hold it up to the light, you could actually see abraham lincoln and the $5 strip here? >> that's correct. >> most people don't do that. >> most people just look to see there's some sort of portrait, which is a reflection and they look to see there's some sort of strip here. >> but for his part, rusty is proud of his work. >> how could you tell if it was fake or real? >> in case you're thinking of trying this at home, you should know we've left out a number of key steps. and one more thing --

counterfeiting is a felony. punishable by up to 15 years in prison. when the demonstration is done, the undercover detectives tell rusty they'll be in touch. >> take care. >> that may be an understatement. >> we got him in custody.

ñoç;?q/???ñññwóçowñwíçwfoóoñoj7ó?ñ?u8qbucác(?ñç we've been watching as undercover las vegas detectives catch suspected car thieves and pimps. >> safety is of the upmost importance to us, we want everyone to come back safe. >> after a 10-month investigation, the undercover fencing operation has ended. it's time to round up the suspects. lieutenant dave love briefs his officers. >> be on heightened awareness with them, please, don't let your guard down.

>> teams of police will be fanning out las vegas in search of 38 suspects accused of selling stolen goods to police. some have left town. but they find many others. there was christopher woods. who sold guns to undercover officers. he's brought to police headquarters. hey, chris? chris hansen with "dateline," nbc, we're doing a story on a metro investigation. >> i don't want to talk to you, sir. >> that's you, right? don't you want to see it? >> no. >> okay, all right. well thanks for your time. christopher pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six to 20 years in prison. here comes allison hunt. she's the single mom who sold a stolen car. hey allison, chris hansen with "dateline," nbc. how are you doing? >> not very good, obviously. >> can you tell me what happened here? >> i don't know what they're talking about, i have no idea. >> did you ever get involved in

selling stolen items or? >> no, even know what they're talking about. i don't go anywhere. i have kids. >> so you've never stolen a car, a vehicle? >> i don't even have a driver's license. >> you've never gone to a place to try to sell a stolen vehicle? >> no. >> yes. there? >> driving up and down boulder highway, at night, in the day. >> with her memory refreshed, she admits trying to sell the car. she says a male friend who was staying with her asked her to sell it for him. >> and that's you right there. >> yeah, talking about driving around in a stolen vehicle. >> i mean i didn't know if it was or not. it was my friend's, he said he wanted to sell is. i said i don't know. she said the only way to get him out of the house was to go along. >> he came over to my house and i couldn't get rid of him. i couldn't get rid of him. >> you decide dodd sell a stolen car for him. >> i didn't know in it was stolen or not. i didn't think it was. i didn't think anybody would do that to me. i have a kid. you don't understand how bad

this person was. he was a weirdo, he was walking around without a shirt on. acting like he lived there. >> that doesn't make it okay to sell a stolen car. >> i know that i didn't know it was stolen. i didn't know that. >> you're a victim in all this? >> yeah, yeah. >> how would you d >> awful. i mean absolutely awful. i -- i'd rather be dead than to be here right now. but i would worry about how my kid was going to be raised. if there's anything i can do to make up for it, i would be happy to. >> well thank you for talking to us, i appreciate it. >> yeah, thanks. >> and good luck with everything, okay. >> yeah, thanks. >> allison pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years of probation. remember rusty? >> the machine scans this every time. >> he showed police how to print bogus $ 100 bills. >> he's staying westbound. >> police picked him up days earlier on an outstanding drunk driving warrant.

he has no idea anyone knows about his counterfeiting. we were allowed into the jail to ask him some questions. hey, rusty, how are you? chris hansen with "dateline" nbc. i want you to have a seat here. remember, he thinks he's here on a d.u.i. but police have allowed us to reveal we know all about his counterfeiting. he agrees to talk to me and at first, denies it. did you go to a storefront business and try to sell some counterfeit money? >> no, i didn't go to one, no. >> no? no? >> i did go to a storefront business, but i didn't try to sell anything to them like counterfeit money, no. >> why did you go there? >> why did i go there? >> yeah. >> because they can'ted me wanting some information from me. >> what kind of information did they want? >> about counterfeiting. >> about counterfeiting. >> did you tell them anything? >> yes. >> when when did you tell them? >> i showed them what somebody showed me. >> do you know how to do counterfeiting?

>> just what i read on the internet and stuff. >> for the first time he's about to see evidence of his appearance inside the police sting. >> i have a videotape that i think you may want to see, can i play it for you? >> sure. >> that's you right there. now you seem to know an awful lot about counterfeiting money here, rusty, i got to tell you that. >> they showed you? >> i learned it like i said, on the internet and stuff like that. >> now before this is all over you produce a crisp $100 bill. and you basically tell them how to do it. and then on top of that, how to pass this $100 bill. how it works in casinos, how you can do it in a convenience store. >> all right. >> how many of those $100 billsvy made over the years, rusty? >> not many. >> that's not what you said here. rusty now says he was just blowing smoke. >> how much money in reality do you think you made?

>> none. jack. >> not jack? >> no. >> give me a ballpark. >> nothing, probably. i mean i haven't passed any of them myself. and never would try. because i mean, honestly, to look at them. they don't really look that real. >> but if they didn't real, why did he say on hidden camera that he carries two wallets, to tell the bills apart. >> i carry two wallets, i got one with the real money. >> well then how come you have one wallet for real money and one wallet for counterfeit money? >> that's b.s., also. >> there's a whole lot of b.s. floating around here, rusty. >> there was a lot of b.s. going around there. >> why even get involved in this? >> i don't know. >> wise guy stuff? >> stupid, [ bleep ] stupidity. >> you're in jail now, this could potentially send you to jail for an even longer period of time. >> yeah. >> allegations of forgery, burglary.

yeah. >> well i don't know. how do you get yourself into this position? how does it get here? >> i don't know. >> how did it come to this? how would you characterize the situation you're in now, how would you describe it? >> [ bleep ] disgusting. >> is there anything else you want folks to know about what happened here? >> no, i think that's it. >> thanks for your time. >> thanks. >> rusty lass pleaded guilty to conspiracy, burglary and forgery, he was sentenced to one to three years in prison. remember sheryl mill centre nicknamed chevy? she came into the storefront to sell stolen cars. she was recently locked up for passing bad checks and like rusty, doesn't know she was caught in a police sting. hey sheryl, chris hansen, i'm with "dateline" nbc, how are you. would you like to have a seat? >> not really. if i have to. >> trust me, you don't have to do anything. i wanted to ask you a couple of questions about an investigation

we're doing a story on. can i show you a videotape that i think you might like to see? >> sure. >> it doesn't take long for sheryl to realize she's in trouble. did you think it might have been an undercover investigation? >> i did. i did. >> did you help sell vehicles? >> i helped, yes. >> you were a part of the deals? >> yes. well -- no, i just brought people there, to do that. >> you were the middleman. >> yes. >> so to speak? >> yes. >> you had people who had vehicles and guns to sell. you knew of this place that the guys were buying them. >> uh-huh. >> and you put the deals together? >> yes. >> does that make you just as guilty as the person who stole the car? >> absolutely. >> how did you end up in such a jam like this? >> when you're beaten from the age of three and a half until 14, you don't stand much of a chance. >> she claims a man she knew beat and sexually molested her.

>> i got pregnant with his baby when i was 13, you know. it's just one of those. >> so what he did to you, put you in a tough spot from the get-go? >> from the age of 14 i was on the streets. >> how do you survive at the age of 14 years old on the streets of las vegas? >> the criminals raise you. you get raised by criminals here. >> she says she has three children and has been strung out on crystal meth for years. >> how do you break that cycle of crime? how do you finally get out of it? i'm guessing you don't want to be here. >> you're asking a 40-year-old woman has not broke the cycle. three children. cared more about what i was doing and the drugs and everything else more than i did my own children. >> is it in some ways a relief to be in jail and away from meth and that lifestyle? >> yeah. it is. i have somewhere to sleep at night. my kids will graduate because they're not out with me. >> how are they doing? >> fabulous.

because i didn't raise them. >> do you talk to them at all? >> no. no. >> how hard is that for you, you know, in these long stretches of sobriety in jail? to cope with the fact that you don't have a relationship with your kids? >> it tears you up inside. >> sheryl pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight to 20 years in prison. >> sheryl, thanks so much. i appreciate it. >> uh-huh. >> stories like hers are not lost on sheriff doug gillespie. >> do you ever feel sorry for a person like that? >> you do. you know, you do. it doesn't make what they've done right, by any stretch. >> he says there are programs designed to help people like sheryl. >> in law enforcement. we don't look at it from the enforcement standpoint. we're looking from a prevention and education standpoint as well. if you do become addicted, here are services that are available to you.

you know, you have programs in place to give them opportunities to change their way of life. are there enough of those services? no. do we have to continue to work in that direction as well? yes. and i believe law enforcement is more engaged today than they ever have been. and those other aspects that impact what we do day to day. >> when people see this investigation, and the unprecedented access, what do you think the take-away should be? >> i think just reinforces to the public that we're just not out there driving around. that we are being proactive, we are being creative. and we are doing our level best to keep this community safe. >> and will continue to watch close-up and undercover.

that's all for now, i'm chris hansen. for all of us at nbc news, thanks for joining us. lights of las vegas flash day and night. beckoning her visitors to let loose and let it roll. but not far from the dazzling lights a darker side of vegas is buzzing with its own kind of action. inside this little shop -- >> i have two malibus. >> -- shady deals are going down. stolen goods for sale. >> i just got a plasma. 51-inch. >> this guy's cashing in on a truck he car jacked, bragging about beating up the driver. >> hit him one time. boom. >> none of the