Man who rammed Hill Air Force Base gate sentenced to prison

SALT LAKE CITY — A man who rammed a stolen car through a Hill Air Force Base gate last year is headed to federal prison.

U.S. District Judge Dee Benson on Friday sentenced Teofilo Frankie Quintana to 51 months in prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Benson also ordered him to pay the owner of the vehicle $5,900 and the air base $16,580 to repair damaged security equipment.

Quintana initially faced six charges, including those relating to the August 2009 HAFB incident in which he pulled up to a  checkpoint and "appeared confused" before telling an entry control officer he "had made a wrong turn," court documents state.

He told the officer he did not have identification, and when the officer turned to alert law enforcement, he sped through the gate, prompting the officer to activate bollards, or posts meant to keep unauthorized people from entering the base. He fled on foot and was later captured.

Authorities found forged and stolen checks, fake IDs and personal information belonging to individuals in the vehicle, leading to the federal charges. Quintana pleaded guilty to two charges in exchange for prosecutors dropping the other four.

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