Johnny Barros Brandao, Passport Fraud, Massachusetts 2023

A Brockton man has been arrested and charged with lying about his lost passport to secure a replacement and enter the United States, when in reality, his passport was confiscated by Cabo Verde authorities following his arrest for murder.

According to authorities, Johnny Barros Brandao, 40, allegedly shot and killed two individuals in Cabo Verde – one in 2014 and another in 2021. He was arrested in Cabo Verde on these charges and later released on pretrial supervision. However, the Cabo Verde court confiscated his passports, including his United States and Cabo Verde passports.

Despite the confiscation, Brandao reportedly applied for a replacement United States passport at the U.S. Embassy in Dakar, Senegal, on December 28, 2022. In the application, he claimed to have lost his passport while out to dinner on December 25, 2022.

The charge of passport fraud carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan C. Cleary is prosecuting the case.

Brandao was arrested in connection with the alleged passport fraud and made an initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson yesterday. He is being detained pending a hearing set for May 12, 2023.

U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Jonathan Davidson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Protective Services.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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