BRAZIL · US ENFORCEMENT
Key Facts
- The country Brazil is Latin America’s largest country, and many of its citizens live and work in the United States.
- What happened A Brazilian man living in Massachusetts was charged with selling fake identity documents to a confidential informant working for federal agents.
- The accused Romulo Ferreira De Oliveira, 39, of Braintree, Massachusetts, was arrested on Tuesday 13 October 2026.
- The documents Prosecutors say he sold 14 items: 12 Social Security cards, one green card and one Brazilian driver’s licence.
- The penalty Each count carries up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to US$250,000, followed by deportation.
- Announced The case was made public on Thursday 15 October 2026 and reached Brazilian news on Wednesday 21 October.
- Power Index Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 75.0 points (October 2026 edition).
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A Brazilian man living near Boston faces up to 15 years in US federal prison on charges of selling 14 fake IDs. The US Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts announced the case on Thursday 15 October 2026, and Brazil’s Veja magazine reported it on Wednesday 21 October.
The accused is Romulo Ferreira De Oliveira, 39, of Braintree, a town south of Boston. For US readers, the case shows how federal agents use paid informants to trace the market for counterfeit identity papers.
What Federal Prosecutors Allege
Prosecutors say De Oliveira sold a green card and a Social Security card to a confidential informant on Saturday 18 July 2026. Ten days later, on Tuesday 28 July, he allegedly sold the same informant 11 Social Security cards and one Brazilian driver’s licence.
He is charged with two counts of knowingly transferring a false identification document, covering 14 fake IDs in all. He was arrested on Tuesday 13 October, and the charge is a formal accusation, not a verdict.
Each count carries up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to US$250,000. If he is convicted, he would be subject to deportation after serving any sentence.
Who Announced the Case
U.S. Attorney Leah Foley, the chief federal prosecutor for Massachusetts, announced the charges with Jeffrey Grimming, acting head of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. That unit of the US Department of Homeland Security investigates document and benefit fraud.
Braintree Police Chief Robert Kilroy Jr. joined the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Tobin and Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
How Similar Cases Ended in Massachusetts
The case follows earlier Massachusetts prosecutions of Brazilians for the same kind of crime. Liene Tavares DeBarros Jr., 40, of Woburn, was arrested in March 2025 after selling counterfeit Social Security cards and green cards to undercover officers.
He sold one set for US$250 in October 2024 and two sets for US$500 in December 2024. In June 2025 a federal judge sentenced him to five months in prison, with deportation to follow.
An older case from 2020 involved Cristiano Ribeiro De Moura, then 33, formerly of Framingham. He charged US$350 for a set of fake IDs and received time served of roughly eight months after pleading guilty.
What It Means for US Readers
Federal agents treat fake IDs as a target in their own right, not only as a side effect of immigration cases. Here an informant working for agents bought the documents in two separate deals.
For Brazilians in the United States, the case is a reminder that buying such documents carries legal risk as well as cost. The charges announced so far cover only the seller, and prosecutors have not described any buyers.
Why Brazilian Media Is Watching
Brazilian outlets regularly follow cases involving their citizens in the United States. Veja carried the story in Portuguese on 21 October as a Brazilian arrested in the US for selling false documents.
The Rio Times has followed the growth in Brazilian migration to the United States since 2024, including a wave of Brazilian migrants heading north. The case is being prosecuted by federal lawyers in Boston.
What Is Not Known
The price the informant paid for the cards has not been disclosed. The next court date and any plea by De Oliveira are not public.
It is not known whether other sellers of fake IDs are under investigation or whether any buyers will face charges. Whether the accused has a lawyer or has entered a plea has not been announced.
More: Brazil news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Romulo Ferreira De Oliveira?
He is a 39-year-old Brazilian national who lives in Braintree, Massachusetts. Federal prosecutors accuse him of selling fake IDs to a confidential informant.
What is he charged with?
He faces two counts of knowingly transferring a false identification document. The counts relate to sales on 18 July and 28 July 2026.
How long could he go to prison?
The maximum is 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a fine of up to US$250,000. A judge sets the actual sentence only after a conviction.
Is he guilty?
No court has found him guilty, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The charge is an accusation made by federal prosecutors.
What is a green card?
A green card is the common name for a Lawful Permanent Resident card, which proves a person may live and work in the United States. Selling counterfeit versions is a federal crime.
Sources: Fall River Reporter (Brazilian national accused of selling fraudulent Social Security cards, driver’s license in Massachusetts), 18 October 2026; Veja (Brasileiro é preso nos EUA por venda de documentos falsos a imigrantes ilegais), 21 October 2026; US Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts (Brazilian national sentenced for unlawful reentry and selling green cards and counterfeit Social Security cards), 27 June 2025; US Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts (Brazilian national sentenced for producing false identification documents), 29 April 2020.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief