Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
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 for them, mainly illegal aliens. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for April 9.
The case highlights efforts by federal authorities to address fraudulent schemes that help illegal aliens obtain official identification documents they are not entitled to receive. Such actions can undermine the integrity of state and federal identification systems.
According to court documents, from November 2020 through September 2024, Nascimento De Andrade and four co-conspirators helped illegal alien customers get driver’s licenses in states where such individuals were not allowed to apply. Before July 2023, Massachusetts did not permit illegal aliens to obtain driver’s licenses, while New York began allowing it in 2019. The group allegedly arranged for out-of-state residents—including those from Massachusetts—to fraudulently acquire New York licenses and later Massachusetts licenses after the law changed.
The conspirators collected money from customers in exchange for these services. In one instance described by prosecutors, Nascimento De Andrade accepted $450 in cash from a customer at a Plymouth Registry of Motor Vehicles branch parking lot in return for providing a fake cable bill as proof of residency. The group also created fraudulent documents and certificates needed for license applications and used deceptive methods during online permit tests required by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV).
Authorities say the group transported customers across state lines, provided false documentation at DMV offices, and controlled mailing addresses where permits and licenses were sent before handing them over to clients. In total, they allegedly applied for more than 1,000 licenses and successfully obtained over 600 while collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Nascimento De Andrade is the third defendant to plead guilty; two others have already been sentenced—Cesar Agusto Marin Reis received 290 days in prison and Helbert Costa Generoso was sentenced to nine months. The charge carries up to five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. Upon completion of any sentence imposed, Nascimento De Andrade will be subject to deportation.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the plea along with officials from Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Several police departments and government agencies assisted with the investigation.
