A Connecticut man has admitted guilt in a scheme to illegally obtain driver's licenses for individuals not eligible, primarily targeting illegal aliens. Cesar Agusto Martin Reis, aged 28 from Waterbury, Connecticut, pleaded guilty on June 13, 2025, to charges of conspiracy to unlawfully produce and possess identification documents with intent to transfer them. He also admitted possession with intent to use or transfer such documents unlawfully. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman has scheduled his sentencing for September 10, 2025.
The charges against Reis and four alleged co-conspirators date back to December 2024. The group is accused of fraudulently obtaining driver's licenses for illegal alien customers from states that do not permit such individuals to acquire licenses. From November 2020 through September 2024, they reportedly operated this scheme across multiple states.
Before July 2023, Massachusetts did not allow illegal aliens to receive driver's licenses; however, New York permitted it starting in 2019. Reis and his associates allegedly helped illegal aliens residing outside New York acquire New York driver’s licenses by circumventing state requirements and using fraudulent documentation.
Reis and his co-conspirators are said to have charged approximately $1,400 per customer for these services. In New York, the Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV) required applicants to pass a written permit test and complete driving education coursework at a local school. To bypass these requirements for their clients, the defendants allegedly used deceptive methods such as submitting pre-taken photographs during online tests and creating fake educational certificates.
Additionally, the defendants are accused of transporting clients from Massachusetts to New York DMV locations while providing them with counterfeit documents proving residency in New York. These false documents led the NY DMV staff into issuing permits under false pretenses.
Similar tactics were allegedly employed in Massachusetts post-July 2023 when laws changed regarding license eligibility for illegal aliens. The group purportedly obtained foreign passports fraudulently as proof of identity for Massachusetts applications.
Authorities claim that more than 1,000 fraudulent applications were made by the group resulting in over 600 successful issuances of driver’s licenses. This operation reportedly netted hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The conspiracy charge carries a potential penalty of up to five years imprisonment and fines up to $250,000; while possession with intent could lead up to fifteen years imprisonment along with similar fines.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the plea alongside Michael J. Krol from Homeland Security Investigations and Kelly Larco-Ward from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's Boston Division. They acknowledged assistance from several law enforcement agencies including the NY DMV Division of Field Investigation and police departments across Boston and Connecticut regions.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea is prosecuting this case out of Worcester Branch Office while stressing that all remaining defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court proceedings.
