PROVIDENCE –– A Bolivian man allegedly carrying fake IDs was arrested Tuesday after he tried to get a real Rhode Island contractor’s license so he could start his own carpet-installation business.

Mario Chirinos, 31, had been working for a company installing carpets, but he said he wanted to go out on his own, said state police Maj. Steven O’Donnell.

Chirinos had bought a fake state driver’s license, in the name of Effrain Tarquino, off the streets of Providence, O’Donnell said. Chirinos also allegedly obtained a fake state ID card in the name of Chirino Mario, 29, and a Social Security card and permanent resident alien card in the name of Efran Tarquino, with different birth dates, according to the state police.

The fake driver’s license –– missing the tell-tale state seal –– caught the attention of an employee at the state Contractor’s Registration and Licensing Board, where Chirinos had gone to apply for a contractor’s license. Chirinos had presented the license and an affidavit at the counter, the state police said.

The board employee contacted the Capital Police, who contacted the state police, who noticed that the driver’s license photo also wasn’t consistent with the appearance of state driver’s licenses. The trooper searched Chirinos and found the other fake IDs, O’Donnell said.

Chirinos, of 96 Priscilla Ave., in Providence, is being held on a detainer by the Bureau of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement after he allegedly told agents and state police that he entered the United States illegally through Mexico.

Chirinos was arraigned on Tuesday on charges of identity fraud and filing a false document, and he posted a $5,000 surety bail. He released to the custody of ICE and transported to the Wyatt Detention Center.

O’Donnell said that Chirinos told investigators that he’d bought the identification cards off the streets in Providence. The state police are investigating whether the names on the identification cards belong to others.

“One of the major initiatives Superintendent Doherty committed to when he was sworn in a year ago was [investigating] ID theft,” O’Donnell said. “It’s a national problem, and this is another example.”

amilkovi@projo.com