BOSTON – Wilberto Sandoval Mazariego, 40, of Chelsea, Massachusetts, has confessed to running a brazen operation manufacturing and distributing counterfeit Social Security cards and “Green Cards” – Legal Permanent Resident cards. The guilty plea, entered yesterday, exposes a network preying on vulnerable individuals seeking fraudulent documentation.
Sandoval Mazariego pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful transfer of a document or authentication feature. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs has scheduled his sentencing for October 3, 2024. The case originated with the October 2023 arrest of Sandoval Mazariego following a criminal complaint, later formalized by a federal grand jury indictment that same month.
Federal investigators initially zeroed in on Tomas Xirum, who was already peddling the fake documents. The probe quickly revealed Sandoval Mazariego as the source. A damning text message exchange between Xirum and Sandoval Mazariego – containing a staggering 568 attachments – showed a systematic process: Xirum would send photos and identifying information of prospective clients, and Sandoval Mazariego would respond with fabricated Social Security cards and Green Cards bearing that information. Xirum pleaded guilty to three counts of unlawful transfer of document or authentication feature and three counts of unlawful production of document or authentication feature on August 21, 2023, and was sentenced to 18 months in prison in January 2024.
The scheme wasn’t just digital. On August 17, 2023, Sandoval Mazariego directly sold a fraudulent Green Card and a Social Security card to an undercover agent. When authorities raided his Chelsea residence on October 3, 2023, they uncovered a full-blown counterfeiting workshop. The search yielded two laminators, card stock, photo paper, glue, trimmers, printers – everything needed to churn out fake IDs. Nine Legal Permanent Resident cards, six Social Security cards, and five driver’s licenses were seized. Crucially, five of the recovered Social Security cards contained names specifically provided by the undercover agent during the investigation.
The bust also turned up a significant stash of cash: $17,095. This haul suggests a lucrative operation built on deception and exploitation. The investigation was spearheaded by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, a multi-agency team dedicated to combating these types of schemes. The Task Force comprises personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England, announced the guilty plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. This conviction sends a clear message: those who profit from fraudulent identification will be brought to justice.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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