Raritan Man Allegedly Forged U.S. Resident Cards

A Raritan man was arrested Monday on several charges of fraudulency concerning the selling of United States Permanent Resident cards, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office.

Michael Arias, 31, was charged with second degree manufacturing false government documents, fourth degree trafficking in personal identification information, and fourth degree forgery.

According to Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey Soriano, in February, detectives were told by Homeland Security Investigations agents that Arias was allegedly manufacturing fraudulent government documents.

An undercover operation was conducted at Arias' residence in April, Soriano said, for the purpose of purchasing fraudulent United States government documents.

In July, Soriano said, an undercover detective met with Arias and purchased a fraudulent permanent resident card, a fraudulent Social Security card and a fraudulent Department of Homeland Security Employment Authorization card in exchange for $120.

That detective, Soriano said, saw Arias make the documents after taking the detective's photograph with a cell phone camera.

On Monday, Soriano said, members of the prosecutor's office and Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at Arias' home in Raritan, and seized a computer, printer, laminator, several government identification cards and other items normally used for creating those documents.

When the search warrant was executed, Soriano said, detectives also found Michael Delgado Sibaja, 25, of Raritan, and Fernando Valencia Alvarado, 42, of Somerville, to be in possession of fraudulent government documents.

Arias, Sibaja and Alvarado were all lodged in Somerset County Jail.