U.S. Department
of Justice
U.S. v. Wemerson Dutra Aguiar and U.S. v. Priscila Barbosa, et al.
Dockets: 21-cr-10158-JGD; 21-MJ-05202-JGD; 22-CR-10291-FDS
Twenty Brazilian nationals were charged with engaging in a nationwide conspiracy to set up fraudulent driver accounts with multiple rideshare and delivery service companies using stolen identities, and to rent or sell those accounts to drivers who might not otherwise qualify to drive for those services.
The alleged scheme also involved using the fraudulent accounts to exploit the company’s referral bonus programs, and using automated “bots” and GPS spoofing technology to increase the income earned from the fraudulent driver accounts. The government estimates that more than 2,000 victims’ identities were stolen and used as part of the scheme.
Victims
If you would like to determine whether a 1099 has been issued to your name, you may utilize the IRS webpage, https://www.irs.gov/individuals/transcript-types-and-ways-to-order-them, to order a Wage and Income Transcript of documents that identify whether a 1099 has been issued in your name. If you have received a 1099 from an unknown employer, please review the IRS webpage for instructions- https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/employment-related-identity-theft.
If you have questions related to being identified as a victim in this case, please send an email to USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov and provide your name and best contact information and a member of the Victim Witness Unit will contact you.
Case Status
Information on court proceedings will be updated on this page as it becomes available to the public.
| Defendant | Last known residence | Charges | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wemerson Dutra Aquiar | Lynn, Mass.; Woburn, Mass. | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Aggravated identity theft |
Sentencing: April 14, 2023 at 10:00 am in Courtroom 2 (In person) |
| Priscila Barbosa | Saugus, Mass. | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Aggravated identity theft | Sentencing: April 14, 2023 at 10:00 am in Courtroom 2 (In person) |
| Edvaldo Rocha Cabral | Lowell, Mass. | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Aggravated identity theft | Sentencing: March 13, 2023 at 1:30 pm in Courtroom 2 (In person) |
| Clovis Placido | Citrus Heights, Calif. | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Aggravated identity theft |
Sentencing: March 13, 2023 at 1:30 pm in Courtroom 2 (In person) |
| Guilherme De Silveira | Revere, Mass. | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud | Sentencing: April 13, 2023 at 10:00 am in Courtroom 2 (In person) |
| Thiago De Souza Prado | Revere, Mass. | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Aggravated identity theft | Trial 9/11/2023 9:00 am in Courtroom 2 (in Person) |
| Luiz Narciso Alves Neto | Revere, Mass. | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Aggravated identity theft | Sentencing: April 12, 2023 at 10:00 am in Courtroom 2 (In person) |
| Flavio Candido Da Silva | Revere, Mass. | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud | Sentencing: March 17, 2023 at 10:00 am in Courtroom 2 (In person) |
| Altacyr Dias Guimaraes Neto | Kissimmee, Fla. | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Aggravated identity theft | Sentencing: April 11 2023 at 10:00 am in Courtroom 2 (In person) |
| Itallo Felipe Pereira De Sousa Correa | Daly City, Calif. | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Aggravated identity theft | Sentencing: April 11 2023 at 10:00 am in Courtroom 2 (In person) |
| Julio Vieira Braga | Daly City, Calif. | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Aggravated identity theft | Sentencing: March 17, 2023 at 10:00 am in Courtroom 2 (In person) |
| Philipe Do Amaral Pereira | Hercules, Calif. | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Aggravated identity theft | Sentencing: April 12, 2023 at 10:00 am in Courtroom 2 (In person) |
| Bruno Pronecio Abreu | Saugus, Mass. | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Aggravated identity theft | Sentencing: April 13, 2023 at 10:00 am in Courtroom 2 (In person) |
| Alessandro Felix Da Fonseca | Revere, Mass. | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Aggravated identity theft | Sentencing: March 15, 2023 at 10:00 am in Courtroom 2 (In person) |
| Saulo Aquiar Ponciano | Wheeling, Ill. | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Aggravated identity theft | Sentencing: March 14, 2023 at 10:00 am in Courtroom 2 (In person) |
| Bruna Peixoto Colaço Ramos | Burlington, Mass. | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Aggravated identity theft |
Status hearing: February 13, 2023 at 10:00 am in Courtroom 2 (In person) |
| Oliver Felipe Gomes De Oliveira | Shrewsbury, Mass. | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Aggravated identity theft |
Status hearing: February 13, 2023 at 10:00 am in Courtroom 2 (In person) |
| Waldemy Jorge Lima Wanderley Junior | Watertown, Mass. | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Aggravated identity theft |
Status hearing: February 13, 2023 at 10:00 am in Courtroom 2 (In person) |
| Jordano Augusto Lima Guimaraes | Salem, Mass. | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud | Status hearing: February 13, 2023 at 10:00 am in Courtroom 2 (In person) |
| Caio Felipe Oliveira Dos Santos | Fall River, Mass. | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Aggravated identity theft | TBD |
Advisory
The United States Attorney’s Office would like to advise that you are not required to allow a delivery person to take a picture of your identification if you have alcohol delivered. While delivery drivers may be required to verify your age, it is not a requirement that they take a photograph of the front of your license or identification in order for you to receive the delivery. Please be sure to review the individual store’s policies for delivery and contact the company you ordered from if you believe that your delivery did not occur as you expected.
You can learn more about ways to prevent identity theft at identitytheft.gov.