The Denver Gazette reports this morning on a news conference held in Provo, Utah, where Utah County Sheriff’s Deputy Charlie Meadows declared Joe Arpaio’s birth certificate to be a “definite fraud.”

According to Meadows, “volunteer investigators examined Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s birth certificate extensively. I can tell you this: based on all of the evidence presented and investigated, my investigators believe that the so-called long-form birth certificate was manufactured, with some materials possibly sourced from forest products.”

Arpaio has declared repeatedly that he is proud to be an American, but has failed — apart from the production of a so birth certificate, interviews with his father, report of the birth in local newspapers, and travel records — to affirmatively establish that he was not born in Italy.

Before answering reporters’ questions, Meadows summarized the evidence uncovered by the investigatory team. “In Line 3, Sheriff Arpaio’s place of birth is listed as Springfield, Massachusetts. As we all know, Springfield is located in the state of Missouri. Also, investigators noted a lack of dust and smudging on the certificate. Massachusetts is a dirty place.”

Reacting to the news conference, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s office issued a statement insisting that “Sheriff Arpaio was born in Springfield, Massachusetts and his birth certificate is valid. The allegations by a sheriff’s deputy in Utah are untrue, misinformed, and misconstrue Massachusetts law.” Reached by telephone for comment, Deputy Meadows responded, “That’s just what someone from Italy would say.”