SAN DIEGO – A jail inmate who escaped from an Otay Mesa lockup two months ago was back behind bars Wednesday after being caught allegedly trying to pass a bad check at an East County casino.

Tuan Tran, 50, was serving time on a burglary conviction in early October when he managed to get out of George F. Bailey Detention Facility by switching identification bands with an inmate who was about to bail out, according to sheriff's officials.

Tran, also known as Kevin Nguyen, remained at large until Tuesday evening, when a guard at the Viejas Casino detained him and turned him over to a deputy, who arrested him on suspicion of check fraud.

Tran gave a false name when he was taken into custody, but authorities determined his true identity while booking him, authorities said.