A Brazilian national living illegally in Boston, Gabriel Nascimento De Andrade, pleaded guilty on March 6 to conspiring to obtain driver’s licenses for individuals not eligible to receive them, mainly illegal aliens. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for April 9.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by authorities to address fraudulent schemes that help people unlawfully obtain government identification documents. Such actions can undermine the integrity of official records and pose challenges for law enforcement agencies.
Nascimento De Andrade, age 27, admitted guilt to one count of conspiracy to unlawfully produce and possess with intent to transfer identification documents. He was charged alongside four co-conspirators in December 2024. According to court documents, from November 2020 through September 2024, the group helped illegal aliens residing in states where they could not legally get driver’s licenses by fraudulently obtaining licenses from New York and Massachusetts.
The conspirators collected money from customers seeking fraudulent licenses. In one instance described in court records, Nascimento De Andrade accepted $450 in cash from a customer at a Plymouth Registry of Motor Vehicles branch parking lot in exchange for providing a fake cable bill as proof of residency. The group also allegedly created fake driver’s education certificates and forged signatures from driving school staff for submission to the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV). They arranged transportation for customers between Massachusetts and New York and provided false documentation so applicants could pass as residents.
Authorities say more than 1,000 applications were submitted through this scheme, resulting in over 600 fraudulent licenses being issued and hundreds of thousands of dollars collected by the conspirators. Two other defendants have already been sentenced: Cesar Agusto Marin Reis received a sentence of 290 days in prison, while Helbert Costa Generoso was sentenced to nine months.
The charge carries up to five years in prison, three years supervised release, and a fine up to $250,000. Sentencing will be determined according to federal guidelines. Nascimento De Andrade faces deportation after serving any imposed sentence.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley said her office worked closely with Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service on this case. Assistance also came from several police departments and government agencies across multiple states.
