A California resident has pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing equipment used to make fake identification documents. Miguel Angel Guevara-Murillo, 35, from Stockton, California, entered the plea before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo in Buffalo, New York.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, Guevara-Murillo was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry on July 28, 2025. During the inspection, officers found a laptop computer, an access card printer, blank plastic access cards, a scanner, and a paper cutter in the trunk of his car. Authorities said these items were transported from California to New York for the purpose of producing counterfeit identification documents that appeared to be issued by various states.
Guevara-Murillo sold these fake IDs for $250 each. The documents enabled buyers to work for an online food delivery company.
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced the plea agreement and stated that possession of device-making equipment carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Sentencing is set for May 18, 2026 before Judge Vilardo.
"Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that on July 28, 2025, Guevara-Murillo was inspected at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry. In the trunk of his car, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found, among other things, a laptop, an access card printer, blank plastic access cards, a scanner, and a paper cutter, which Guevara-Murillo brought with him from California to New York. He used these items to make counterfeit identification documents that appeared to be issued under the authority of different states in the United States. Guevara-Murillo then sold the documents for $250, which allowed individuals who purchased the documents to work for an online food delivery company."
"The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan and Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy."
