Deportee arrested during police search (Austin Post-Bulletin)

Deportee arrested during police search

11/8/2008 1:10:37 AM

By Tim Ruzek

Post-Bulletin, Austin MN

A 33-year-old man deported three years ago from Virginia allegedly was using false ID documents while living in Austin.

Silvestre Lopez-Diaz, also known as Alfonso Eduardo Morales, is charged in Mower District Court with three felony counts of aggravated forgery and lesser counts of giving police a false name and driving without a valid license.

Lopez-Diaz allegedly used a false U.S. Social Security card, a birth certificate in the name of a U.S. citizen and a state of Minnesota ID card.

On Oct. 31, Judge Donald E. Rysavy set bail for Lopez-Diaz at $100,000 without conditions or $50,000 with conditions, records show.

A criminal complaint says Lopez-Diaz drove about 9:25 a.m. to a residence while it was being searched by authorities in the 400 block of 12th Street Northwest.

Lopez-Diaz told police he didn't live there but was leaving a bicycle on his way to work, the complaint says.

In a police interview, Lopez-Diaz, after telling a different story, allegedly said his family and children are in Mexico and he intended to return there. He allegedly said he did odd jobs at an Austin church and contended that Morales was his true identity.

On Oct. 30, a federal immigration-enforcement agent checked the Morales identity and Social Security number used by Lopez-Diaz. The agent found the identity is an alias for Lopez-Diaz, who was deported on Dec. 20, 2005, from Norfolk, Va.

Lopez-Diaz is scheduled to return to court Thursday.