A Brazilian national living illegally in Waterbury, Connecticut, was sentenced on September 26, 2025, for his involvement in a scheme to obtain driver’s licenses for individuals who were not eligible, primarily undocumented immigrants.
Cesar Agusto Martin Reis, 28, received a sentence of time served—290 days in prison—from U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman. He now faces deportation proceedings. In June 2025, Reis pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to unlawfully produce and possess with intent to transfer identification documents and one count of possession with intent to use or transfer unlawfully identification documents. He was charged along with four others in December 2024.
According to court documents, from November 2020 through September 2024, Reis and his co-conspirators helped illegal aliens obtain driver’s licenses fraudulently in states where they were not permitted by law. Prior to July 2023, Massachusetts did not allow undocumented immigrants to get driver’s licenses; New York changed its policy in 2019. The group targeted customers from Massachusetts and other states seeking New York licenses before July 2023 and then Massachusetts licenses afterward. They typically charged about $1,400 per customer for these services.
On February 4, 2024, during a traffic stop in Bedford, Massachusetts, authorities found Reis with 50 fraudulent driver’s licenses.
To bypass requirements set by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV), which included passing a written permit test and completing driving school coursework—with photo verification required during online tests—the conspirators obtained photos of customers posing as if taking the tests. They used these images when prompted by the NY DMV system while completing tests on behalf of clients. Fake certificates from driving schools were also created using forged signatures.
Reis and others arranged transportation for out-of-state clients into New York so they could present false proof of residence at NY DMV offices. Fraudulent documents were provided that misrepresented the applicants’ residency status; permits issued as a result were sent to addresses controlled by the defendants before being delivered to clients.
The same approach was used after July 2023 for obtaining Massachusetts driver’s licenses for out-of-state residents; fraudulent foreign passports were allegedly used as identity proof at the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.
In total, more than 1,000 applications were submitted fraudulently by the group; over 600 resulted in issued licenses and the collection of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The charges carry maximum penalties ranging from five years (for conspiracy) up to fifteen years (for possession with intent), supervised release periods up to three years each count, and fines up to $250,000 per charge. Sentencing is determined according to federal guidelines and statutes.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley stated: “The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations (New England), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (Boston Division), assistance from NY DMV Division of Field Investigation; Boston Police Department; Danbury and Waterbury Police Departments; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut; and New York State Inspector General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea is prosecuting the case.
