United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy | U.S. Department of Justice
A Chelsea man has been sentenced for his involvement in selling fake Social Security and Green Cards. Wilberto Sandoval Mazariego, aged 41, received a sentence of one month in prison followed by six months of home confinement. He pleaded guilty in July 2024 to the unlawful transfer of a document or authentication feature. His arrest occurred in October 2023 after being charged by criminal complaint and later indicted by a federal grand jury.
The investigation into Sandoval Mazariego began during a probe into Tomas Xirum, who was involved in selling fraudulent identification documents. Sandoval Mazariego was identified as the creator of these documents. A text message exchange between Xirum and Sandoval Mazariego revealed approximately 568 attachments related to the fraudulent activities. Xirum would send personal details to Sandoval Mazariego, who would then provide counterfeit Social Security cards and Green Cards with the provided information.
On August 17, 2023, Sandoval Mazariego sold fake identification documents to an undercover agent. His subsequent arrest on October 3, 2023, led to the discovery of equipment used for producing counterfeit IDs at his residence. Items found included laminators, card stock paper, photo paper, glue, trimmers, printers, nine Legal Permanent Resident cards, six Social Security cards, five driver’s licenses, and $17,095 in cash.
Tomas Xirum had previously pleaded guilty on August 21, 2023, to multiple counts related to unlawful document transfer and production. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison in January 2024.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol from Homeland Security Investigations in New England. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin from the Major Crimes Unit.
The investigation was carried out by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force which includes personnel from various state, local and federal agencies specializing in fraud detection and prevention.
