Sanderley Rodrigues De Vasconcelos, 43, Arrested on Visa Fraud Charges
BOSTON – In a shocking turn of events, Sanderley Rodrigues De Vasconcelos, a 43-year-old resident of Davenport, Florida, has been arrested on visa fraud charges.
According to sources, De Vasconcelos was arrested at Newark International Airport on May 16, 2015, after returning to the United States from a trip abroad. He was subsequently charged in U.S. District Court in Boston with fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents.
De Vasconcelos is accused of presenting a green card to Customs and Border Protection Officers on May 3, 2015, at Logan Airport, knowing that he obtained that document based upon false statements to immigration officials. The charging documents also reveal that De Vasconcelos was involved in several pyramid schemes, including Universo Fone Club and TelexFree.
In 2006, De Vasconcelos first came to the attention of federal authorities when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued him for owning and operating Universo Fone Club, a company that allegedly defrauded investors of millions of dollars. More recently, De Vasconcelos was cited by the SEC for his role in promoting TelexFree, a pyramid scheme that purported to sell a voice over Internet service.
The owners of TelexFree, James Merrill and Carlos Wanzeler, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and several counts of wire fraud in July 2014. De Vasconcelos’ involvement in these schemes has raised concerns about the ease with which individuals can obtain visas and commit financial crimes.
De Vasconcelos is currently being held pending meeting conditions of release set by a federal magistrate judge. If convicted, he faces a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cory S. Flashner of Ortiz’s Worcester Branch Office.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations, and De Vasconcelos is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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