A Brazilian national living illegally in Danbury, Connecticut, was sentenced to prison on October 2, 2025, for his involvement in a scheme to obtain driver’s licenses for individuals not eligible to receive them, primarily undocumented immigrants.
Helbert Costa Generoso, 41, received a nine-month prison sentence from U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman and faces deportation after completing his term. In June 2025, Generoso pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to unlawfully producing and possessing identification documents with intent to transfer them, as well as providing a false passport for another person’s use. He was charged alongside four others in December 2024.
From November 2020 through September 2024, Generoso and his alleged co-conspirators arranged fraudulent driver’s licenses for customers who were unable to legally obtain them due to their immigration status or residency restrictions. The group focused on states such as Massachusetts—where undocumented immigrants could not obtain licenses before July 2023—and New York, which began allowing undocumented immigrants access to licenses starting in 2019.
According to prosecutors, the conspirators facilitated the procurement of New York driver’s licenses for out-of-state clients—including Massachusetts residents—by charging about $1,400 per license. After July 2023, they used similar methods to secure Massachusetts licenses for people who did not reside there. The group also charged $1,400 for obtaining fake foreign passports under the names of their clients as supporting identification documents.
To circumvent requirements set by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV), such as passing written permit tests and completing certified driving courses at state-approved schools—with online test-takers required to submit webcam photos—the conspirators allegedly staged photographs of customers appearing to take these tests. They then completed the tests themselves and uploaded the staged images when prompted by NY DMV systems.
The group is further accused of creating counterfeit certificates of completion from driving schools and forging staff signatures on those documents. To satisfy identity and residency verification procedures at NY DMV offices, they transported clients from Massachusetts into New York locations using fraudulent documentation that falsely established local residency.
Authorities say more than 1,000 fraudulent applications were submitted through this scheme; over 600 resulted in successfully obtained licenses with hundreds of thousands of dollars collected in fees.
Costa Generoso is the second defendant convicted in this case. In September 2025, Cesar Agusto Martin Reis was sentenced to time served (290 days) for his role in the operation.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley stated: “The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.” The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service Boston Division, NY DMV Division of Field Investigation; police departments from Boston and Connecticut; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Connecticut; and the New York State Inspector General’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea is prosecuting the case out of Worcester Branch Office.
