PORTLAND — A Bronx, New York man who used fraudulent credit cards at the Biddeford Wal-Mart was sentenced to 10 years of prison Wednesday.

Gyadeen P. Ramdihall, 28, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit access device fraud, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office. Ramdihall has also been ordered to pay nearly $18,000 in restitution.

On Jan. 29, Ramdihall pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud.

Ramdihall, along with Jervis A. Hillaire, also known as Jerome Leslie, of Menifee, California; and a third person traveled in September of 2013 from New York to Maine with 38 credit, debit and gift cards that were counterfeit or fraudulently altered, according to court documents.

Between Sept. 5, 2013 and Jan. 24, 2014 the three men knowingly used counterfeit credit, debit and gift cards ”“ and conspired to do so, according to court documents.

In Maine, the three used cards to purchase gift cards and electronic devices from vendors including, among others, Best Buy, Apple, Target and Wal-Mart, according to court documents.

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On October 10, 2013, an Ohio State Trooper stopped Ramdihall for speeding. Hillaire was his passenger. A total of 17 fraudulent access device cards in Hillaire’s name were found in the trunk of the vehicle under the spare tire, according to court documents.

On Jan. 24, 2014, an employee at Wal-Mart in Biddeford told police an unidentified man had used four different credit cards to buy a $300 gift card, presenting a different card each time one was declined. The man also used a separate card to buy baby formula and other items totaling about $95, and three more cards to buy two iPod Touches for about $622.

Biddeford police caught up with and pulled over the vehicle in which the man had exited the Wal-Mart parking lot, finding Hillaire and Ramdihall inside. Ramdihall was arrested for driving with a suspended license, and Hillaire was arrested for providing a false identity.

Police also found eight credit cards inside one of Hillaire’s boots. Special Agent Matthew B. Fasulo of the U.S. Secret Service was later able to identify those cards as counterfeit “due to defects in their manufacturing,” court documents state.

In pronouncing sentence, Judge Hornby observed that the use of false credit cards was a serious problem, that he was concerned that Ramdihall did not understand the seriousness of his situation and that a sentence that would provide deterrence was required.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service, the Kittery and Biddeford Police Departments and the Ohio State Police.



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