Man busted at FLL with trove of stolen credit cards after using them on luxe Jamaica trip, feds say

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A South Florida man got a rude awakening at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Monday after returning home from a five-star resort in Jamaica, according to federal court documents.

That’s because authorities say multiple victims unknowingly financed at least a portion of his luxury Caribbean trip. Federal agents say they busted Mardoche Petit-Phare, 30, of North Miami, more than a dozen stolen credit cards.

A federal criminal complaint states that Petit-Phare was “targeted for further examination” at the customs checkpoint after returning on a JetBlue flight from Montego Bay.

After searching his cross-body bag, customs officers said they found “genuine bank issued credit and debit cards belonging to at least 15 (other) individuals” and two more in his carry-on.

Petit-Phare claimed that he got the stolen cards from “his friend,” the complaint states.

Investigators said they contacted multiple victims, who reported having thousands of dollars spent on their cards.

According to the complaint, on the preceding Tuesday and Wednesday, one victim’s card was used for “likely online” transactions totaling nearly $3,300 at the RIU Hotels and Resorts in Montego Bay, described online as an “upscale all-inclusive beach property.”

Then, on Friday, agents said that same card had three in-person $1 transactions at the resort, “which appear to likely be test transactions using the RFID contactless reader and chip reader.”

They said another victim had his or her card used for more than $1,000 worth of transactions in or near the capital of Kingston.

Agents said a search of Petit-Phare’s cellphone revealed “photographs of multiple fraudulent drivers’ licenses” with his picture on them, but “with other individuals’ biographical information, including (their) date(s) of birth and drivers’ license numbers.”

“Law enforcement also found photos of credit cards in other individual’s (sic) names,” the complaint states, along with “photographs of checks, including U.S. Department of Treasury Checks, in high dollar amounts, written out to other individuals.”

Agents said as they tried to escort Petit-Phate to a holding cell, he “became combative and had to be restrained by numerous officers prior to being placed in handcuffs and leg restraints.”

A photo included in the complaint shows at least eight officers trying to take him into custody.

Petit-Phare now faces a federal charge of aggravated identity theft. It could land him in prison for two years if convicted.

Records show he was scheduled to appear in Fort Lauderdale federal court at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, records show he was being held in the Broward Sheriff’s Office Main Jail on behalf of the U.S. Marshals Service.

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