BOSTON – In a stunning reversal of fortune, Brazilian national Liene Tavares DeBarros Jr., 40, has been sentenced to five months in federal prison for his role in a brazen scheme that involved illegal reentry and selling counterfeit Social Security cards and Green Cards. The verdict came down yesterday in federal court, where Judge Denise J. Casper imposed the sentence, followed by two years of supervised release.
DeBarros was previously deported from the United States in 2010 but managed to sneak back into the country, where he committed a litany of illegal acts. In May 2025, he pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful transfer of a document or authentication feature and one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. His arrest followed a meticulous investigation by federal agents.
According to court documents, DeBarros was selling counterfeit identity documents as early as mid-2024. He was caught after an undercover operation in which he sold a fake Social Security Number Card and a Green Card for $250. By December 2024, his greed had led him to sell two more sets of counterfeit IDs to another undercover officer for an additional $500. His downfall was sealed when he agreed to sell three more sets of documents before his eventual arrest.
During a search of DeBarros’s Woburn home, authorities discovered not just the fraudulent cards but also a false set of documents in his name. The investigation was a collaborative effort by various agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations and the Social Security Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States, with support from federal and local law enforcement. The sentencing of Liene Tavares DeBarros Jr. serves as a stark reminder of the consequences faced by those who choose to break the laws that protect our nation’s borders and its citizens.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations; Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General; and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, all made the announcement regarding DeBarros’s sentencing.
RELATED: Green Card Grifter: DeBarros Gets 5 Months
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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