Brazilian Company Charged up to R$4,000 for Fake Papers for U.S. Visa

By Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Federal District Civil Police (PCDF) started another phase of Operation “Green Card”, investigating the purchase and sale of documents to try to get a visa to enter the United States.

According to Ronney Teixeira Marcelo, Chief Detective of the 1st Police Precinct, two bogus college students were arrested in the act at the U.S. Embassy.

Two middlemen were arrested in addition to the youths. Maxwell Marcello Douglas Conde do Carmo, 35, and his uncle Albert Anderson Roberto do Carmo, 50, ran an informal company in Belo Horizonte, Master Vistos, and were responsible for the forged documents.

In interrogation, the company owners said that they hasd been in business since the beginning of the year. The costs to collect the necessary material varied for each client, from R$3,000 to R$4,000 (US$750 – US$1,000), according to them.

“Master Vistos would be hired and would get fake documentation from third parties. Forgers would get 70 percent of the value, while Maxwell would get 30 percent,” the detective explained.

Maxwell and Albert arrived in Brasília by bus Thursday, June 27th, to provide logistical support to the two youths, who also arrived that morning to meet at the interstate bus station.

The students were arrested at the United States Embassy. Subsequently, they provided details and contacts of the middlemen, who were later detained.

According to Ronney Teixeira, the clients did not know each other, but they were instructed to pretend to be engaged. “This would be a way of looking more realistic and increasing the chances of a visa being granted. They even wore wedding rings,” the policeman said.

At the embassy, the young man submitted a fake Degree in Management, while the young woman submitted a fake Degree in Veterinary Medicine. The couple also had credit card bills and foreign stamps in their passports to make it seem like they traveled often.

All four will be indicted for using a forged document, as it has not yet been proven that Maxwell and Albert arranged the documents. The penalty for this offense ranges from one to five years of imprisonment.