A Brazilian man residing in Marlborough, state of Massachusetts, was sentenced Monday, January 9, in federal court for transferring and aiding and abetting the transfer of fake United States identification documents, and possessing document-making implements.
United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; Matthew J. Etre, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New England; and Leo J. Sullivan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General, announced that Horácio Neto, age 40, of 110 Boston Post Road, Marlborough, Massachusetts, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to 10 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
Upon completion of his prison sentence Neto also faces deportation to his native Brazil. Neto pleaded guilty on October 13, 2005, to two counts of transferring false identification documents and to one count of possessing document-making implements.
At the earlier plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that, had the case proceeded to trial, the evidence would have proven that on June 10, 2005 and July 16, 2005, Neto unlawfully transferred four counterfeit Alien Registration Cards commonly known as "green cards" and four counterfeit Social Security Account Number Cards during an undercover sting operation.
Specifically, a confidential source ("CS") cooperated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") agents in the undercover investigation.
Through telephone calls, the CS made arrangements to purchase from Neto two sets of fraudulent green cards and Social Security cards. On June 10, 2005, the CS met with Neto in a parking lot in Marlborough and provided Neto with a digital memory card containing two photos, and names and dates of birth to be used on the fraudulent documents.
Neto left with the items and information and entered an apartment building located at 195 East Main Street, Marlborough, Massachusetts. Neto rented an apartment at this location where he operated his false document production business.
Neto returned to the meeting place approximately 40 minutes later providing the CS with two sets of fraudulent documents. The CS paid Neto US$ 160 in cash for the fraudulent documents.
On July 16, 2005, the CS purchased an additional two sets of fraudulent identification documents from Neto again paying US$ 160 in cash. On August 10, 2005, Neto was arrested in the early morning hours as he was exiting the apartment at 195 East Main Street.
During a search of the premises, agents recovered various document-making materials, including, two computer hard drives, one bag of miscellaneous papers and completed and partially completed counterfeit documents, five completed counterfeit documents, a computer monitor, a color copier, laminator, paper cutter, and two digital cameras.
The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Antoinette E.M. Leoney in Sullivan’s Major Crimes Unit.
Source: U.S. Attorney
