Canadian Man Who Wore Makeup To Conceal His Identity Convicted Of Misuse Of A Passport

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

BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Fadi Abbas, 32, of Canada, pleaded guilty to misuse of passport before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The defendant was immediately sentenced to time served and remanded to the Department of Homeland Security for removal proceedings. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Maura K. O’Donnell, who handled the case, stated that on January 24, 2018, the defendant attempted to enter the United States at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry, in Niagara Falls, NY. Abbas, who wore makeup in order to appear older, presented a Canadian passport in the name of his father, Gheis Ahmed Abbas.

The defendant’s fingerprints were entered into the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System and produced a positive match for Fadi Abbas. The defendant was previously denied entry into the United States using his own identity and passport, because he was previously convicted of a crime in Canada.

The plea and sentence are the result of an investigation by Customs and Border protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.