A Massachusetts man is facing a federal charge after authorities say he was selling phony green cards and software to create the bogus documents.
Cristiano Ribeiro De Moura, of Framingham, is accused in federal court of one count of creating phony identifications.
Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Benjamin Miller, who is part of the agency’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, said that in June, Ribeiro De Moura communicated with confidential informants on “WhatsApp” and he offered to create and sell them two counterfeit Lawful Permanent Residence cards (green cards) and two counterfeit Social Security Number cards for a price of $350 per set.
The informants are not in the United States legally but were both placed in deferred action because of their cooperation, records said.
Ribeiro De Moura told the informants he needed a digital photograph and biological information to make the documents.
Agents had the informants arrange to buy two sets of the counterfeit documents. They met Ribeiro De Moura on July 2 at his apartment at 153 2nd St. in Framingham.
The exchange was secretly videotaped and records, authorities said.
Investigators were given the phony documents from the confidential informants. The Lawful Permanent Residence and Social Security Number cards had the informants’ pictures on them.
Ribeiro De Moura provided the Social Security Numbers for the cards, investigators said.
The confidential informants contacted Ribeiro De Moura on July 28, again through “WhatsApp” and said they wanted to buy more counterfeit identifications.
Ribeiro De Moura agreed to make another set for the same price of $350, federal records said.
For a second time, Ribeiro De Moura provided the informants with more bogus Lawful Permanent Residence and Social Security Number cards.
A couple of days later, on July 31, Ribeiro De Moura told the confidential informants he could sell them the computer software he uses to make the fake identifications, federal records said.
His price was $2,500 for the software, investigators said.
Ribeiro De Moura told the informants they would need an older model laptop that ran Windows 7. He promised them that he would show them how to create the documents, provide sample paper stock and show them what type of printer is needed, records said.
In August, the informants were given a laptop, with Windows 7, and met with Ribeiro De Moura, the special agent wrote.
Ribeiro De Moura began to download the software and instructed the informants they needed to buy a laminator and specific paper from Staples.
A couple of days later, Ribeiro De Moura told the informants the laptop was ready for them to pick up. Ribeiro De Moura was paid $2,500, investigators said.
Ribeiro De Moura showed the informants how to create the phony documents and how to laminate and cut the paper, records said. All of the interactions were recorded.
Federal records show Ribeiro De Moura was arrested on Sept. 6. He was brought to federal court in Boston the same day.
Ribeiro De Moura remains in federal custody.