Police: Traffic stop leads to arrest of illegal immigrants (Glens Falls Post-Star)

Police: Traffic stop leads to arrest of illegal immigrants

Staff reports
Published: Tuesday, October 21, 2008

WARRENSBURG — Three illegal immigrants from Mexico were jailed early Tuesday after they were found to have counterfeit immigration documents and Social Security cards, police said.

The trio came under police scrutiny at 12:29 a.m. when Warren County sheriff’s Patrol Officer Jeremy Coon pulled over a car in which the three were traveling on Route 9 in Warrensburg, officials said. Police said the car was pulled over for "numerous" vehicle and traffic violations, though police did not specify those violations in a news release.

The driver was found to have a fake driver’s license, and all three had fake Social Security and permanent resident cards, police said.

Charged with second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, a felony, were Edgar L. Canella, 19; Gabriel C. Cruz, 23; and Lorenzo M. Cristiani, all of Whitehall.

Police did not specify which of the three was driving the car. They said the men admitted they had been in the United States for about two years.

All three were being held in Warren County jail pending prosecution and investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency.

Coon and Warren County sheriff’s Investigator Ed Affinito handled the case.