Traffic Stop Leads to Arrest of Illegal Immigrant

A routine traffic stop in Pound Ridge Sunday led to the arrest of an undocumented Brazilian man, who was in the country illegally and wanted by Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE), a division of Homeland Security.

At 3 a.m. on Sunday, Pound Ridge Police Sgt. Mike Armistead reportedly observed a green Honda with a broken headlight pull into the Pound Ridge Town Park and park next to the pond. Upon investigation, Armistead found two men in the car.

Police reports indicate that the vehicle’s operator told the officer that he was lost and trying to find his way to Bridgeport, Conn.

Armistead said the driver appeared nervous and presented a Brazilian driver’s license with the name Erick Silva. He also had a Brazilian passport under the name Eder Almeida Candido, Jr. He allegedly told Armistead that the passport belonged to his brother, but the officer noted that the ID photos on both documents were similar. The passenger, Delio Assis, only carried a Brazilian passport.

The driver was initially issued a summons under the name Erick Silva for being an unlicensed operator. However, upon further questioning, he admitted that his name was actually Eder Almeida Candido and that the driver’s license belonged to a friend.

Candido was arrested for criminal impersonation and transported to Pound Ridge police headquarters. Further investigation revealed that Candido had an immigration violation for failure to appear for deportation from the country and was wanted by ICE. According to police reports, Immigration officer Timothy Keinath interviewed Candido by phone and the subject admitted to being in the U.S. illegally without proper documentation.

“It never ceases to amaze me what you can discover with a simple, routine traffic stop,” said Pound Ridge Police Chief David Ryan.

The green Honda’s owner, Assis Silva, the defendant’s uncle, was called and confirmed that Candido had permission to use the vehicle and that he would come to retrieve the car.

Candido was arranged before Judge Edward Hand later that morning and remanded to the Westchester County Correctional Facility in Valhalla with no bail to await pick-up by ICE.

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