Traffic Stop Leads to Discovery of Fake Credit Cards, Brass Knuckles

State police from Troop C in Tolland arrested a pair of New York men Tuesday night in possession of counterfeit credit cards, suspected stolen merchandise and brass knuckles.

Around 10:59 p.m., a trooper was conducting motor vehicle enforcement on I-84 westbound, when he clocked a 2012 Dodge Charger at 88 MPH on laser. He initiated a motor vehicle stop near the Willington rest area.

During the course of the stop, troopers identified the occupants and gained consent to search the vehicle. During the search, a trooper discovered a set of brass knuckles, with an integrated window punch. He also discovered 32 credit cards hidden in a shoe, which were all in the name of the vehicle’s passenger.

Brand new merchandise in department store shopping bags was discovered in the passenger compartment and the trunk of the vehicle, including X-Box gaming systems, perfume, and a Microsoft Surface Pro tablet, all in its original packaging. The occupants indicated that they did not have any receipts for the merchandise, and they were unable to provide specific locations of the stores where the merchandise was purchased.

Information gathered at the scene suggested that the credit cards had been fraudulently created and used to perform retail transactions to fraudulently purchase the merchandise in the vehicle. The credit cards and merchandise were seized as evidence.

Both the operator and passenger were taken into custody and transported to Troop C – Tolland for processing.

The passenger, Stephone Ashton, 21, of Brooklyn, N.Y., is charged with third-degree larceny and credit card counterfeiting. He was held on $25,000 bond, and was arraigned Wednesday in Rockville Superior Court.

Jahmel Sinclair, 20, of Queens Village, N.Y., the driver, was charged with reckless driving, weapons in a motor vehicle and conspiracy to commit third-degree larceny. He was held on $10,000 bond, and was also arraigned Wednesday in Rockville.

Preliminary investigation suggests the retail value of the merchandise to be in excess of $7,500.

The investigation into this matter is still active.

Photos courtesy of Connecticut State Police