Feds bust alleged California Social Security fraud ring
Central District of California U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli discusses the federal arrest of four unauthorized immigrants accused of operating a Social Security fraud ring, the alleged scale of the operation and the Trump administration’s broader campaign against fraud and illegal immigration on ‘America Reports.’
A Brazilian national who acknowledged creating a fake Department of Homeland Security (DHS) branch and selling counterfeit DHS and FBI identification cards has been ordered deported. He allegedly told buyers the cards would shield them from federal immigration officers.
Mario Cesar Dos Santos Jr., 50, entered the United States in 2016 and remained after his visa expired, according to the Department of Homeland Security. He was arrested in February at Orlando International Airport after flying in from Boston and is now in removal proceedings.
Dos Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and the unlawful use of government seals.
Authorities accuse Mario Cesar Dos Santos Jr., 50, of running a sham organization called the “Chaplain Emergency Management Agency” and charging about $400 per person for fraudulent training courses that brought in roughly $14,000. (Middle District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office Case #5:26cr17, USA v. Dos Santos)
Prosecutors say Dos Santos presented himself as president of the fictitious Chaplain Emergency Management Agency, or CEMA. He allegedly established the organization to deceive seminar participants into paying for supposed protection from immigration enforcement.
Although the training sessions were advertised as free, attendees were charged between $400 and $450 for bogus certificates they believed would prevent deportation, authorities said. Each seminar attracted an estimated 30 to 45 people.
FORMER USCIS OFFICIAL, ACCOMPLICE CHARGED IN ALLEGED $960K CITIZENSHIP BRIBERY SCHEME
According to prosecutors, the fraudulent certificates carried unauthorized DHS and FBI seals. The alleged scheme led to Dos Santos’ arrest in Florida following an investigation involving DHS, the FBI and FEMA. The Brazilian national faces deportation as well as potential prison time. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images / Middle District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office Case #5:26cr17, USA v. Dos Santos)
Dos Santos also allegedly sold apparel, badges, stickers and other merchandise displaying official DHS and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) seals. FEMA coordinates the federal response to natural disasters and other emergencies caused by human activity.
Authorities said a confidential informant bought several of the items during a training seminar last year.
Prosecutors said the counterfeit certificates used unauthorized DHS and FBI seals, prompting his arrest in Ocala after investigators from DHS, the FBI and FEMA examined the operation. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images / Middle District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office Case #5:26cr17, USA v. Dos Santos)
The CEMA website, social media pages and group chat promoted future courses and displayed an altered DHS seal, according to authorities. The group chat had more than 750 members when the investigation began in August 2025.
The group also falsely represented that it was accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and the American Council on Education.
Dos Santos could receive a federal prison sentence of up to 20 years when he is sentenced on Dec. 18.
The Trump administration has made the fight against fraud, government waste and abuse a priority, including through the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud led by Vice President JD Vance. DHS said FEMA investigated more than 2,000 fraud cases during fiscal year 2025.