A 27-year-old man told a judge he was in the country illegally so he could avoid prison.
The man was arrested on Feb. 24, 2010, for distribution of a controlled substance. He told police his name was Saul Quiroz, court document say.
While at a hearing before a District Court judge, the man said he was from Mexico and he was in the country illegally. He pleaded guilty. The court then allowed him to report to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and he was deported to Mexico, court document say.
In February 2011, the man was arrested on a warrant in relation to his previous case in Salt Lake County. This time he told a judge that his name was not Saul Quiroz and that he had lied about being in the country illegally and was "in fact a United States citizen," court documents say.
The man was once again taken into custody by ICE several months later. He told ICE he had re-entered the country sometime around April 10, 2010, using his U.S. passport. He admitted creating the false name and claiming to be a Mexican national "to avoid a lengthy prison term because of his drug conviction," court documents say.
He was released from ICE custody once his citizenship was verified. The man was charged with one count of false or inconsistent material statements, a second-degree felony, and one count of false personal information to a peace officer, a class C misdemeanor, in 3rd District Court on Wednesday.
source
Man fakes illegal status to avoid prison | The Salt Lake Tribune
The man was arrested on Feb. 24, 2010, for distribution of a controlled substance. He told police his name was Saul Quiroz, court document say.
While at a hearing before a District Court judge, the man said he was from Mexico and he was in the country illegally. He pleaded guilty. The court then allowed him to report to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and he was deported to Mexico, court document say.
In February 2011, the man was arrested on a warrant in relation to his previous case in Salt Lake County. This time he told a judge that his name was not Saul Quiroz and that he had lied about being in the country illegally and was "in fact a United States citizen," court documents say.
The man was once again taken into custody by ICE several months later. He told ICE he had re-entered the country sometime around April 10, 2010, using his U.S. passport. He admitted creating the false name and claiming to be a Mexican national "to avoid a lengthy prison term because of his drug conviction," court documents say.
He was released from ICE custody once his citizenship was verified. The man was charged with one count of false or inconsistent material statements, a second-degree felony, and one count of false personal information to a peace officer, a class C misdemeanor, in 3rd District Court on Wednesday.
source
Man fakes illegal status to avoid prison | The Salt Lake Tribune
