NOTE: In case you missed the news conference of Sheriff Joe Arpaio's "Cold Case Posse," you can view the news conference at this online location.

PHOENIX – An investigative "Cold Case Posse" launched six months ago by "America's toughest sheriff" – Joe Arpaio of Arizona's Maricopa County – has concluded there is probable cause that the document released by the White House last year as President Obama's birth certificate is a computer-generated forgery.

The investigative team has asked Arpaio, who is at a news conference in Phoenix live-streamed by WND TV that began at 3 p.m. Eastern time, to elevate the investigation to a criminal probe that will make available the resources of his Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

The posse says it has identified at least one person of interest in the alleged forgery of Obama's birth certificate.

Arapaio, known for his strict enforcement of immigration laws, commissioned the investigative team after local citizens presented him with a petition expressing concern that Obama might not be eligible for Arizona's presidential ballot.

TRENDING: With only days to go until debate, Pelosi gives Biden an out: 'Why bother?'

In addition to the live-streaming, WND is making available to the public a report distributed to media today by Arpaio's investigators.

GET A FREE COPY OF THE ARPAIO REPORT THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED TO PRESS TODAY

The posse, comprised of former law enforcement officers and lawyers with law enforcement experience, has interviewed dozens of witnesses and examined hundreds of documents. It also has taken numerous sworn statements from witnesses around the world.

Mike Zullo, Arpaio's lead investigator, said his team believes the Hawaii Department of Health has engaged in a systematic effort to hide from public inspection any original 1961 birth records it may have in its possession.

"Officers of the Hawaii Department of Health and various elected Hawaiian public officials may have intentionally obscured 1961 birth records and procedures to avoid having to release to public inspection and to the examination of court-authorized forensic examiners any original Obama 1961 birth records the Hawaii Department of Health may or may not have," Zullo said.

The investigators say the evidence contained in the computer-generated PDF file released by the White House as well as important deficiencies in the Hawaii process of certifying the long-form birth certificate establish probable cause that a forgery has been committed.

The investigation was launched after 250 members of the Surprise, Ariz., Tea Party, presented a signed petition to Arpaio in August 2011 asking him to undertake the investigation.

The Tea Party members petitioned under the premise that if a forged birth certificate was used to place Barack Obama on the 2012 Arizona presidential ballot, their rights as Maricopa County voters could be compromised.

Arpaio believes a congressional investigation might be warranted and has asked that any information relevant to the investigation held by other law enforcement agencies be forwarded to his office.

The Cold Case Posse advised Arpaio that they believe forgers committed two crimes. First, they say it appears the White House fraudulently created a forgery that it characterized as an officially produced governmental birth record. Second, the White House fraudulently presented to the residents of Maricopa County and to the American public at large a forgery represented as "proof positive" of President Obama's authentic 1961 Hawaii long-form birth certificate.

"A continuing investigation is needed to identify the identity of the person or persons involved in creating the alleged birth certificate forgery and to determine who, if anyone, in the White House or the state of Hawaii may have authorized the forgery," Arpaio said.

Among the evidence released at the press conference are five videos – which can be seen at the end of this article – to demonstrate why the Obama long-form birth certificate is suspected to be a computer-generated forgery.

The videos consist of step-by-step computer demonstrations using a control document. They display the testing used by the investigators to examine various claims made by supporters of the April 27 document.

The investigators contend the videos illustrate their conclusion that the features and anomalies observed on the Obama long-form birth certificate were inconsistent with features produced when a paper document is scanned, even if the scan is enhanced by Optical Character Recognition, OCR, and optimized.

Additionally, the posse says, the videos demonstrate that the Hawaii Department of Health Registrar's name stamp and the registrar's date stamp were computer-generated images imported into an electronic document, as opposed to rubber stamp imprints inked by hand or machine onto a paper document.

"That we were able to cast reasonable suspicions on the authenticity of the registrar stamps was especially disturbing, since these stamp imprints are designed to provide government authentication to the document itself," Zullo said, emphasizing that if the registrar stamps are forgeries, the document itself is likely a forgery.

The investigators also chronicled a series of allegedly inconsistent and misleading representations that various Hawaii government officials have made over the past five years regarding any original birth records held by the Hawaii Department of Health.

"As I said at the beginning of the investigation, the president can put all this to rest quite easily," Arpaio said. "All he has to do is demand the Hawaii Department of Health release to the American public and to a panel of certified court-authorized forensic examiners all original 1961 paper, microfilm and computer birth records the Hawaii Department of Health has in its possession."

Arpaio emphasized that the Hawaii Department of Health needs to provide, as part of the full disclosure, evidence regarding the chain of custody of all Obama birth records, including paper, microfilm and electronic records to eliminate the possibility that a forger or forgers may have tampered with the birth records.

The sheriff said the president should also authorize Honolulu's Kapi'olani Hospital, the birth hospital listed on the Obama long-form birth certificate, to release any hospital patient records for Stanley Ann Dunham Obama, his mother, and for the newly born Barack Obama, to provide corroboration for the records held in the Hawaii Department of Health vault.

"Absent the authentic Hawaii Department of Health 1961 birth records for Barack Obama, there is no other credible proof supporting the idea or belief that President Barack Obama was born in Hawaii, as he and the White House have consistently asserted," Zullo said.

"In fact, absent the authentication of Hawaii Department of Health 1961 birth records for Barack Obama, there is no other proof he was born anywhere within the United States."

In addition, investigators say they have developed credible evidence that President Obama's Selective Service card was a forgery, based on an examination of the postal date stamp on the document. Also, records of Immigration and Naturalization Service cards filled out by passengers arriving on international flights originating outside the United States in the month of August 1961, examined at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., are missing records for the week of President Obama’s birth.

Videos connected to the investigation:

1. Introduction – Regular Scan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID_KfcmG9gs

2. Layers, Stamp & Noise

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S40WKxKSlHc

3. OCR Theory

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qDzMYWTjds

4. Optimization

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQUGwEZ-xDo

5. Conclusion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgTZUVpb3dk

6. Selective Service

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHAM3hRI8_Y

View the entire news conference of Sheriff Joe Arpaio's "Cold Case Posse":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yerPzQ4doyU

Previous stories:

What does law say about Obama's eligibility?

Alinsky-style leftist ramps up effort to oust Sheriff Joe

100,000 line up to back Sheriff Joe

Obama backer arrested for death threats against Sheriff Joe

Justice Department blinks in battle against Sheriff Joe

Anti-Arpaio protesters ousted from meeting

Another protest against Sheriff Joe fails

Obama's harassment of Sheriff Joe

'Resign now' protest against Sheriff Joe fizzles

Sheriff Joe targeted for ouster

Sheriff Joe 'suspicious' of motive behind Obama attacks

Sheriff Joe to Obama: I'll keep doing my job

Arpaio gets death threats over Obama investigation

Sheriff Joe on Obama eligibility probe: 'Where there's smoke ... '