New Bedford Store Owner Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Selling Fake Government Identification Documents

BOSTON – The owner of International Guatemala Musical and Fashion Accessories in New Bedford was sentenced yesterday for producing and selling fraudulent government identification documents.  

Tomas Xirum, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris to 18 months in federal prison. In August 2023, he 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 three separate occasions – May 10, 2021, June 23, 2021 and Aug. 11, 2022 – Xirum sold fraudulent Permanent Resident Cards (commonly referred to as “green cards”) and Social Security cards to undercover agents from his store. 

After pleading guilty, Xirum continued to produce and sell fraudulent government identifications, thus revoking his pretrial release.  

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.