Guilford detention officer charged with 20 felony counts of forgery

A former Guilford County detention officer, Michael Shaun Diehl Jr., has been arrested and charged with 20 felony counts of forgery. Investigators allege that Diehl forged magistrates’ signatures on court documents used to extend the detention of inmates for up to 48 hours while awaiting federal immigration officers.

The investigation began after the Guilford County Magistrate’s Office discovered a suspected forged signature on an order related to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer. Subsequent reviews of jail records revealed 19 additional forms containing allegedly forged signatures. In these cases, ICE had issued legitimate detainers for the inmates involved.