Illegal immigrant to be deported for forged papers

An illegal immigrant pleaded guilty Monday to possessing a forged document and would be deported, a Cape Girardeau County judge ordered.

Carlos Quintas, 21, of 2813 Whitener St., pleaded guilty to felony forgery and misdemeanor assault of a law enforcement officer during an appearance before Circuit Judge Benjamin Lewis.

Quintas was arrested May 29 when he charged at and struck a Cape Girardeau police officer responding to a call of a disturbance at his home. In court through an interpreter, Quintas admitted he was "very intoxicated" at the time.

Following his arrest, police said they found on Quintas a forged Social Security Administration card and a U.S. Permanent Resident Card. The resident card was in Quintas' name but was actually registered to a woman, according to officials.

In exchange for Quintas' plea, prosecutors dropped a felony forgery charge related to the Social Security card.

Lewis sentenced Quintas to five years probation for the forgery and to time served for the assault, with credit for time served.

Quintas would be deported back to Mexico, the judge ordered. Should he try entering the United States illegally again, Lewis warned Quintas he could be sentenced to up to three years in prison.