Two Montreal Men Sentenced For Possession Of Counterfeit Access Devices At The Highgate Springs Port Of Entry

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Boris Alfonsa Caro-Silva, 25, and Idriss Bedhiaf, 26, both of Montreal, Canada, were sentenced today in Burlington for possession of at least fifteen counterfeit access devices when they attempted to enter the United States at the port of entry in Highgate Springs, Vermont in December 2014. U.S. District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford sentenced both men to time-served and a fine. Caro-Silva and Bedhiaf each paid a fine in the amount of $2,000 prior to the sentencing hearing.

According to court records, on December 13, 2014, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers encountered Caro-Silva and Bedhiaf as they attempted to enter the United States at the Highgate Springs port of entry. After referring the men to secondary inspection, officers discovered forty-five prepaid MasterCard and Tim Horton’s gift cards between the two men. The cards contained numbers written in black marker across the back. Caro-Silva acknowledged that the cards contained other individuals’ credit card information, and that he intended to withdraw whatever cash he could from ATMs and return a portion of the proceeds to another individual who had given him the cards in the Montreal area. Bedhiaf maintained that he had found the cards on the sidewalk near his home and was traveling to New York City to go shopping. Utilizing a credit card reader, law enforcement determined that the information contained on the cards’ magnetic strips did not correspond to the numbers printed on the face of the cards. Caro-Silva and Bedhiaf were arrested and charged with possession of counterfeit access devices.

This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Doyle. Caro-Silva was represented by Elizabeth K. Quinn of the Federal Defender’s Office, and Bedhiaf was represented by Michael J. Straub.