Skip to main content
Press Release

Guinean National Charged With Possessing Fake Passport

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of New York

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051

BUFFALO, N.Y.- Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Abdoulaye Barry, 25, a legal, permanent resident from Guinea, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possessing a fraudulent passport and aggravated identity theft. The charges carry a minimum mandatory penalty of two years in prison, a maximum of 10 years, and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Lamarque, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on February 26, 2017, the defendant was found at the Rainbow Bridge with a fraudulent United States Passport card.  That card, which contained the defendant’s photograph, bore the name and passport card number of another individual. Barry also had a fraudulent Ohio driver’s license bearing her photograph but the name of another individual, as well as a Florida Driver’s license bearing the name and photograph of another person.  Barry was also in possession of a debit and credit card matching the name on the fraudulent Ohio driver’s license.

The defendant made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and is being detained pending a detention hearing on March 7, 2017, at 11:00 a.m.

The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the United States Department of State, under the direction of Resident Agent-in-Charge William Ferrari, Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Updated March 1, 2017