BOSTON – A Brazilian national was sentenced yesterday in
connection with sending a letter to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS) that threatened an armed attack on a South Boston school in 2018.
Clebio P. De Lima, 43, a Brazilian national previously
residing in Quincy, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M.
Gorton to time served (23 weeks). De Lima will now face deportation to Brazil.
In June 2019, De Lima pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements
to federal authorities.
In February 2018, USCIS’ Boston Office received an unsigned
letter handwritten in Portuguese stating that an individual identified by the
name of “Mario” was going to carry out an attack at a South Boston school. The
letter stated that Mario had purchased two firearms and that he was looking to
buy more. The letter concluded by stating, “I invite you to take action, I
trust in you. Thank you for the great security of this country.”
Following an investigation, it was determined that the
allegations in the letter were false, and that De Lima sent the letter to USCIS
hoping that the federal government would arrest his ex-wife’s boyfriend. During
a subsequent interview with law enforcement in September 2018, De Lima falsely
denied any knowledge about the unsigned letter sent to USCIS.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R.
Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
Boston Field Division; and Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the
Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. The case was
investigated by the FBI Boston Joint Terrorism Task Force. Assistant U.S.
Attorney George P. Varghese of Lelling’s National Security Unit prosecuted the
case.
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