A former detention officer in Guilford County, North Carolina, has been charged with 20 counts of felony common law forgery in connection with allegedly fraudulent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainment documents, according to a news release from the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO).
Sheriff Danny H. Rogers reported that on Friday, the Guilford County Magistrate’s Office alerted the GCSO after identifying a potentially forged court document submitted by detention officer Michael Diehl, 40.
“The document, entitled ‘Order After Receipt of ICE Detainer and Administrative Warrant’ — an AOC-CR-662 form — was associated with an ICE detainer issued for inmate Claudio Nepornuceno,” the statement read.
“Upon review, the Magistrate’s Office and GCSO Detention staff determined that the document contained the allegedly forged signature of a different magistrate who had not processed Nepornuceno’s initial arrest,” the statement added.
Under North Carolina law, inmates subject to an ICE detainer must appear before a magistrate with a copy of the detainer. The magistrate may then issue an AOC-CR-662 form, which authorizes the detention center to hold the inmate for up to 48 hours beyond their scheduled release to allow ICE to assume custody.
However, investigators determined that Nepornuceno was never presented to a magistrate alongside the detainer. Rather, the AOC-CR-662 form bearing the magistrate’s allegedly forged signature was submitted in his place.
A further review of GCSO jail booking records uncovered 19 additional AOC-CR-662 forms linked to 19 other inmates, each containing allegedly forged magistrate signatures.
The investigation revealed that in all 20 cases, ICE had issued a detainer based on evidence that the inmates were in violation of U.S. immigration law.
As the criminal investigation progressed, Diehl’s employment with the sheriff’s office was terminated. He was subsequently arrested and formally charged with 20 counts of felony common law forgery.
Diehl was released from custody after posting a $5,000 secured bond. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges are possible.
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