A Connecticut man has admitted to participating in a scheme to secure driver’s licenses for individuals not eligible to receive them, mainly targeting illegal aliens. Cesar Agusto Martin Reis, aged 28 from Waterbury, Conn., pleaded guilty on June 13, 2025, to charges related to the unlawful production and possession of identification documents. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman has set his sentencing for September 10, 2025.
The charges against Reis date back to December 2024 when he was indicted alongside four co-conspirators. From November 2020 through September 2024, they reportedly facilitated the fraudulent procurement of driver’s licenses for illegal alien clients living in states that barred such individuals from obtaining licenses.
In Massachusetts, where illegal aliens were not allowed to obtain driver’s licenses until July 2023, and New York, where they became eligible in 2019, Reis and his co-conspirators allegedly orchestrated the acquisition of New York licenses for non-residents. The group is accused of charging around $1,400 per client for their services.
The process involved bypassing standard procedures required by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV), such as passing a written permit test and completing driving school courses. Reis and his team purportedly submitted false documentation and images during online testing processes to make it appear that clients were meeting these requirements themselves.
Further allegations include creating fake driving school certificates and forging signatures needed for NY DMV approval. Clients were transported from Massachusetts to New York DMV locations with falsified residency documents. Upon successful application completion, permits were mailed to addresses controlled by the defendants before being handed over in person.
Additionally, similar tactics were allegedly used within Massachusetts once state laws changed post-July 2023 regarding license eligibility for out-of-state residents.
Overall, more than 1,000 fraudulent applications were submitted under this conspiracy; over 600 licenses were obtained illegally while generating substantial financial gain amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Reis faces severe penalties: up to five years imprisonment for conspiracy-related charges and up to fifteen years for possession with intent offenses. Fines could reach $250,000 per charge alongside supervised release periods as determined by federal guidelines.
This case announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley alongside Michael J. Krol from Homeland Security Investigations and Kelly Larco-Ward from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Boston Division. The investigation received assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies across states including the NY DMV’s Division of Field Investigation and several police departments.
As proceedings continue against other defendants involved in this case, they remain presumed innocent until proven otherwise beyond reasonable doubt in court.
