The sixth and final Florida resident charged in summer 2015 with possession of more than 700 counterfeit credit and debit cards has pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months probation.
Dairon Ferrer-Marquez, 26, of Miami, pleaded guilty last week to the reduced charge of altering a credit card, a felony with a punishment range of probation to up to three years prison, according to Kane County court records.
In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors dismissed more severe charges of possession of counterfeit debit/credit cards, an offense that carried a five-year maximum prison term.
Under the plea accepted by Judge James Hallock, Marquez must pay $1,490 in fines and fees and must complete 18 months of conditional discharge, which is a form of probation.
Marquez and five others were arrested in June 2015 after Kane County sheriff’s deputies made a traffic stop and a suspect provided a false Ohio driver’s license. The arrest prompted searches of two hotel rooms in Aurora, where the bogus cards were seized.
Marquez’s plea agreement is identical to sentences issued to: Mercedes D. Gregorino-Morffy, 44, of Hialeah Gardens; Luis Jimenez-Gonzalez, 25, of Opa-Locka; Yuskel Ruiz-Lorenz, 31, of Homestead; and Yaniris Alfonso, 30, and Ranset Rodriguez-Martinez, 38, both of Miami.