A Jamaican man who pleaded guilty to trying to use a forged American passport and birth certificate to leave the Island was arrested as soon as he left Magistrates? Court by Police and Immigration Officials.

Carlos Ricardo Henry, 28, of Barbican Road, Kingston pleaded guilty to four counts of knowingly and fraudulently uttering false documents in Bermuda between September 23 and 25.

The false documents were: a Georgia driver?s licence in the name of Winston McDonald, a New York State Department of Health statement of birth, a Department of Immigration work permit and a Bermuda Immigration arrival card in the name of Winston McDonald, date of birth September 12, 1977.

Crown counsel Nicole Smith said Immigration Officials were tipped off about Henry and stopped him at the Bermuda International Airport.

She said he was foreign national admitted to the Island as a guest for a local entertainment company.

He was arrested at the Airport and conveyed to Hamilton Police Station where he admitted to purchasing the fake documents in Georgia in order to be a US citizen.

She said overseas checks into his identity were still underway by Bermuda Immigration and asked Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner to remand him in custody for up to 14 days in order to complete the identity checks.

However, Mr. Warner said as the crime Henry confessed to was committed under the Criminal Code, he only had power to fine him up to $600 or sentence him to 12 months in prison under that Act. Had a charge been levied against the defendant under the Immigration Act, he would have had more leeway in remanding him.

Duty Counsel Ken James said his client was willing to pay a fine and could establish a family connection to Jamaica.

?I can fine him then the Immigration Department can arrest him because he is here illegally,? Mr. Warner said.

But Mr. James said taking this course of action would be a mockery to the system.

An unidentified Immigration Official told the court he had spoken with Henry?s girlfriend yesterday morning who was going to send Henry?s original birth certificate from Jamaica.

Mr. Warner fined the Jamaican $300 on each count and ordered him to pay a total of $1,200 immediately.

Henry did not ask for extra time to pay his fine.