An Arlington man was arrested Friday, May 27, 2005, on a federal criminal complaint on charges of transferring fake United States identification documents and possessing document making implements.
United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; Robin M. Avers, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New England; and Leo J. Sullivan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General, announced yesterday that Ozelio Pereira De Assis, aka João Pereira, age 25, of 248 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, Massachusetts, was charged in a criminal complaint with transferring false identification documents and possessing document making implements.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the complaint, between October 2004 and April 2005, De Assis was involved in the distribution of over two hundred and twelve counterfeit documents, namely counterfeit Alien Registration Cards commonly known as “green cards” and counterfeit Social Security account number cards.
It is also alleged that De Assis is illegally in the United States and that he is a citizen of Brazil.
De Assis was arrested Friday on the charges and appeared that morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marianne B. Bowler.
He remains in federal custody pending a probable cause and detention hearing scheduled for today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leo T. Sorokin.
If convicted, De Assis faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a US$ 250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Antoinette E.M. Leoney in Sullivan’s Major Crimes Unit. The details contained in the criminal complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Source: U.S. Attorney
PRNewswire