New Bedford storeowner pleads guilty to selling fake government IDs

BOSTON (WLNE) — The owner of International Guatemala Musical and Fashion Accessories in New Bedford pleaded guilty to producing and selling fraudulent government identification documents, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said Monday.

According to court documents, 48-year-old Tomas Xirum pleaded guilty on August 17, to three counts of unlawful transfer of document or authentication feature and three counts of unlawful production of document or authentication feature.

On three separate occasions, May 10, 2021, June 23, 2021 and Aug. 11, 2022, officials said Xirum sold fraudulant Permanent Resident Cards, commonly referred to as “green cards” and Social Security cards to undercover federal agents from his store.

The charges of unlawful transfer of document or authentication feature and unlawful production of document or authentication feature each provide for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

Xirum is scheduled to be sentenced on January 11, 2024.