New Jersey Residents Sentenced for Smuggling Portuguese Citizen
UTICA, NEW YORK – Oscar Manuel Grego Costa, age 46, a Portuguese citizen living in Newark, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year period of supervised release, for bringing an illegal alien into the United States from Canada and attempting to bring the alien to Newark. Maria Jose Carvalho, age 47, of Newark, was sentenced today to time served (4 days in jail), followed by 2 years of supervised release, for conspiring to transport an illegal alien within the United States.Â
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Steven Bronson, Area Port Director, United States Custom and Border Protection (CBP); and Robert N. Garcia, Chief Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
On November 17, 2018, Carvalho drove from Newark to Canada, where she met with and picked up Fabio De Soussa Barbosa. Barbosa was a citizen of Portugal, who had been a long-time resident of New Jersey. Barbosa was not authorized to enter the United States. After meeting Barbosa in Canada, Carvalho drove to a remote location on the Canadian side of the border during the early morning of November 18, 2018, and dropped off Barbosa, who then walked across the border into the United States. Barbosa entered the United States undetected and Carvalho then drove to the Champlain Port of Entry and attempted to return to the United States. Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers had observed Carvalho drop off someone near the border and RCMP, in turn, contacted Border Patrol. Â
Border Patrol responded and encountered a Chevrolet Tahoe, with a New Jersey license plate, registered to Maria Carvalho. The vehicle, which was near Mooers, New York, had four men inside. The driver was Christopher Boals and the three passengers were Daniel Costa, Antonio Nieves, and Fabio De Sousa Barbosa. Christopher Boals, Daniel Costa and Antonio Nieves had been hired by Oscar Manuel Grego Costa to meet with and pick up Barbosa on the United States side of the border, and then drive him away from the border so that Barbosa could be transported to Newark.Â
Oscar Manuel Grego Costa was found by Border Patrol at the Rouses Point train station later that morning and arrested. Immigration inspection of Oscar Manuel Grego Costa, including a check of his fingerprints, revealed that he had been removed from the United States to Portugal in 1994 and that he had not secured permission to return to the United States following the removal. Costa was also sentenced today to 12 months in prison for the offense of re-entry into the United States of a previously removed alien. The court directed that the 12-month sentence run concurrent to Costa’s 36-month sentence for alien smuggling.Â
Christopher Boals, age 41, of Newark, was sentenced on December 11, 2019 to 15 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year period of supervised release, for bringing an illegal alien into the United States from Canada and attempting to bring the alien to Newark.
Antonio Nieves, age 46, of Newark, was sentenced on December 11, 2019 to 15 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year period of supervised release, for bringing an illegal alien into the United States from Canada and attempting to bring the alien to Newark.
Daniel Costa, age 24, a citizen of Portugal residing in Newark, was sentenced on January 8, 2020 to time served (13 months in prison), for bringing an illegal alien into the United States from Canada and attempting to bring the alien to Newark.Â
Fabio De Soussa Barbosa, age 24, a citizen of Portugal residing in Newark, was convicted of the misdemeanor offense of entry without inspection by an alien, on December 18, 2018 and sentenced to time served (30 days in jail), and to pay a $5,000 fine.   Â
This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Border Patrol, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward P. Grogan and Ashlyn Miranda.
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Department of Justice
Office of the U.S. Attorney
Northern District of New York
Source: Justice.gov