A Miami, FL man who was caught at the Canadian border with 73 forged credit cards has been sentenced to just under a year in jail.
Deladier Benitez was sentenced on Wednesday in Erie County Court. He had previously pleaded guilty before Erie County Court Judge Thomas Franczyk to three counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree in December 2016.
The 34-year-old was arrested in October 2016 while crossing the Peace Bridge from Buffalo into Canada. The Erie County District Attorney's Office said Benitez was found to have 73 forged credit cards and a forged Ohio driver’s license in the name of Marco Silva during a border search.
Authorities describe Benitez as a Cuban national who was attempting to cross the border from the United States into Canada. He could have received 2 1/3-7 years in prison, but was sentenced to just 364 days, increasing his chances of remaining in the United States.
In 2011, Benitez was arrested for grand theft and carrying a concealed weapon in Miami.
