Brazilian Man Jumps Bail, Flees Custody in Daring Highway Stunt
BOSTON – In a brazen attempt to evade justice, 20-year-old Brazilian man Victor Rodrigues De Moura-Pereria pleaded guilty in federal court in Worcester to escaping from federal custody, a crime that saw him jump bail and flee custody in a daring highway stunt.
According to court records, Rodrigues was arrested in Arizona in September 2021 after unlawfully entering the United States. He was subsequently placed into removal proceeding in October 2021 but failed to report and was considered an absconder.
On February 25, 2024, Rodrigues was approached by local law enforcement in Framingham due to an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He ignored officers’ commands and resisted arrest, prompting his transfer into the custody of federal immigration officials.
However, Rodrigues’ escape attempt only just began. While being transported to the Wyatt Detention Center on February 26, 2024, he made numerous attempts to escape from the prisoner compartment of the transport van, where he was seated in full restraints.
Specifically, Rodrigues attempted to unlock the passenger side door by pulling on the lock pin with his teeth. He then forced his body through a small gap between the vehicle’s rear cage and passenger side window and into the vehicle’s storage compartment. From there, he pulled the emergency release pull tab, opened the rear door, and jumped out onto the highway when the vehicle entered standstill traffic. After exiting the transport van, Rodrigues ran down the middle of the highway and disappeared.
Responding law enforcement subsequently located Rodrigues hiding inside a wooden fenced area behind a building in Waltham, approximately a quarter mile from where he exited the vehicle.
In a plea deal, Rodrigues was sentenced to time-served (approximately five weeks in prison) to be followed by one year of supervised release. He was subsequently transferred into ICE custody and placed into removal proceedings.
The case was announced by Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Boston. Valuable assistance was provided by the Waltham Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Maynard of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
As Rodrigues faces deportation and a year of supervised release, the public is left to wonder what drove him to attempt such a daring escape from federal custody. One thing is clear, however: Rodrigues’ actions will not go unpunished.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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