Marlborough Man Accused Of Using Fake Passport To Access Bank Accounts

MARLBOROUGH, MA — A Brazilian national living in Marlborough is facing charges after being accused of using a fake passport to open and access business bank accounts.

Jose De Freitas Junior, 30, was charged with one count of false use of a passport, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts. De Freitas is currently in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and is expected to make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at a later date, officials said.

De Freitas is accused of presenting a fraudulent Brazilian passport under a false name to a bank teller at a bank in Andover to open a business account there, according to the USAO. The fraudulent passport included his photograph, the false name and a passport number that belonged to a different Brazilian citizen, officials said.

He is also accused of presenting the passport to local law enforcement upon their arrival at the bank. He was immediately taken into custody, according to the charging documents.

A biometric check of De Freitas' fingerprints taken during booking allegedly confirmed that he is a Brazilian citizen who has not been lawfully admitted to the U.S., officials said.

Investigators also allege that De Freitas opened multiple business accounts using different fraudulent Brazilian passports as identification. The accounts, which were registered to auto sales-related businesses, were used to receive numerous large wire transfers, some of which were later recalled by the sending banks as fraudulent, according to the USAO.

De Freitas is facing up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

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