State of Montana officials have issued an arrest warrant for an Irish con man who wrote a series of bad checks for more than $55,000 before fleeing to Colorado.

Kevin Barry McAuley is currently in Colorado where he's being held for being in the United States illegally. Meanwhile Montana officials are said to be awaiting his extradition to their state to face further charges.

On Thursday last McAuley pleaded guilty in federal court in Colorado to writing the bad checks.

'I filed a complaint for writing bad checks, common scheme, which is a felony,' said Mike Menahan, the deputy attorney in Lewis and Clark County, Montana. 'We are willing to bring him back here.'

Turned over to the Department of Homeland Security for deportation, it's unclear if McAuley will return to Montana or be deported soon.

A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security told The Republic that it's possible the agency could postpone the deportation for McAuley to face charges.

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'They simply need to file a claim, and the person can be transported there if they have to face charges,' Shawn Neudauer told the press. 'All violations, like weapons or drunk driving are separate from federal immigration law.'

'Standard operation procedure for Immigration and Customs Enforcement is to let the third-party nation sort it out with the country of origin,' Neudauer added.

There are several victims who would like to see the so-called Irish scam artist face the music. Dan Mohn, a Montana resident, said he loaned McAuley about $8,000.

'I would like to see him spend some time in jail,' Mohn said. 'He's been scamming people for a long time now. I'd like to tell him to his face what I think about him.'

McAuley reportedly told Montana residents he was an Irish soldier who fought in Lebanon, Kuwait and Afghanistan, and that his father owned pubs and hotels in Ireland.

But the real story came to light when McAuley's fingerprints - taken during a domestic assault arrest - proved he was an illegal immigrant. Unmasked, McAuley fled to Colorado, where he was later arrested.

After his arrest some residents of Reykjavik, Iceland came forward to say McAuley had taken advantage of them in 2009.

'He was looking to take over an Irish pub, whose owner he had got to know through his mingling with us locals,' said Frederik Krautwald, executive director of a computer programming company, in correspondence reported by The Republic.

Krautwald said he was tricked into helping McAuley form a new business plan. But then McAuley fled in the night, first breaking into the pub and taking $1,000.

'I have heard from the owner that McAuley lured huge amounts from him,' Krautwald said. 'For the last two years I have been trying to find McAuley and information on me. Perhaps it would be nice for the people around Canyon Ferry Reservoir to know that they are not alone being victims to his fraud.'