Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A Brazilian national living illegally in Waterbury, Connecticut, was sentenced on September 26, 2025, for conspiring 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—amounting to 290 days in prison—from U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman. He now faces deportation proceedings. In June 2025, Martin Reis pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to unlawfully produce and possess identification documents with intent to transfer them and one count of possession with intent to use or transfer unlawfully obtained identification documents. He was charged alongside four co-conspirators in December 2024.
According to court records, from November 2020 through September 2024, Martin Reis and his co-conspirators secured fraudulent driver’s licenses for clients residing in states that did not allow undocumented immigrants to obtain such licenses. Before July 2023, Massachusetts prohibited undocumented immigrants from obtaining driver’s licenses; New York began allowing it in 2019. The group conspired to get New York licenses for non-residents—including those from Massachusetts—and after July 2023 did the same with Massachusetts licenses for out-of-state clients. They typically charged about $1,400 per customer. On February 4, 2024, Martin Reis was found with 50 fraudulent driver’s licenses during a traffic stop in Bedford, Massachusetts.
In New York, applicants had to pass a written permit test and complete driver’s education at a local school. The New York Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV) required online test-takers to take webcam photos during the exam as an identity verification measure.
To bypass these requirements for their customers, Martin Reis and his co-conspirators obtained staged photographs of customers appearing to take the tests and used these images when prompted by the NY DMV system while completing tests on behalf of their clients. They also created fake certificates from driving schools by forging staff signatures and gave these documents to customers for submission to the NY DMV.
Applicants also needed proof of identity and New York residency at a DMV office. Martin Reis and his associates transported groups of Massachusetts-based clients to New York DMV branches and provided them with false documents claiming New York residence. These misrepresentations led the NY DMV staff to issue permits based on fraudulent information. Permits were mailed to addresses controlled by the defendants before being distributed in person to customers. The group also scheduled road tests for clients and arranged transport; if successful, they ensured delivery of the resulting licenses using similar methods.
The scheme extended into Massachusetts after July 2023 using comparable tactics—obtaining foreign passports fraudulently as identity proof for license applications at the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.
Authorities estimate that more than 1,000 fraudulent license applications were submitted by Martin Reis and his co-conspirators; over 600 resulted in issued licenses. The operation generated at least several hundred thousand dollars.
Conspiracy charges related to unlawful production or possession of identification documents carry potential penalties of up to five years’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and fines up to $250,000 per count; possession with intent charges can result in up to fifteen years’ imprisonment under federal sentencing guidelines.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley stated: “United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Kelly Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement.” She noted assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies including the NY DMV Division of Field Investigation; police departments from Boston as well as Danbury and Waterbury in Connecticut; federal prosecutors from Connecticut; and the New York State Inspector General’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea is prosecuting the case from Worcester Branch Office.
All remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
