A Brazilian national living in Woburn who was previously deported has pleaded guilty to selling fake Social Security cards and “Green Cards,” the U.S. Attorney said.
Liene Tavares DeBarros, Jr., 40, pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful transfer of a document or authentication feature and one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement on Tuesday.
U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper scheduled sentencing for June 26.
Tavares DeBarros was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in March.
Tavares DeBarros was previously deported from the United States in July 2010. Sometime after his removal, Tavares DeBarros unlawfully reentered the United States, prosecutors said.
Fake Social Security cards, that have been seized but authorities, lay in a pile at the office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Charlotte, N.C., in a 2006 file image.
In mid-2024, law enforcement officers were notified that Tavares DeBarros was selling counterfeit identity documents.
Undercover investigators contacted Tavares DeBarros requesting his services, Foley said.
In October, Tavares DeBarros sold a counterfeit Social Security Number Card and a Green Card to an undercover officer in exchange for $250, Foley said.
Later, in December, Tavares DeBarros sold two more counterfeit Social Security cards and two Green Cards to another undercover officer in exchange for $500.
For the charge of unlawful transfer of document or authentication feature and unlawful production of document or authentication, Tavares DeBarros faces a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
For the charge of unlawful reentry, Tavares DeBarros faces a sentence of up to two years, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
Tavares DeBarros is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed, Foley said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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