Feds bust alleged California Social Security fraud ring
Central District of California U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli discusses the latest on the federal government’s arrest of four illegal immigrants accused of running a Social Security fraud ring, the scope of the alleged scheme, and the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to crack down on fraud and illegal immigration on ‘America Reports.’
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FIRST ON FOX: A Brazilian illegal immigrant who admitted to creating a fake branch of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and selling counterfeit DHS and FBI identification cards — which he claimed would provide immunity from federal immigration officers — has been ordered deported.
Mario Cesar Dos Santos, Jr., 50, who entered the United States in 2016 and overstayed his visa, is currently in removal proceedings, according to DHS. He was arrested in February at Orlando International Airport after arriving on a flight from Boston.
Dos Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and the fraudulent use of government seals.
WOMAN EXPOSED RUNNING VISA FRAUD SCHEME SPANNING YEARS, POSING AS IMMIGRATION OFFICER
Mario Cesar Dos Santos Jr., 50, is accused of operating a sham organization called the “Chaplain Emergency Management Agency” and charging $400 per person for bogus training courses that generated about $14,000. (Middle District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office Case #5:26cr17, USA v. Dos Santos)
As part of the scheme, Dos Santos claimed to be the president of the “Chaplain Emergency Management Agency” (CEMA), a fictitious federal agency he created to trick attendees at training seminars into paying for immunity from immigration enforcement.
While the training courses were offered for free, participants were charged $400 to $450 for bogus certificates they believed would protect them from deportation, authorities said. Each seminar drew approximately 30 to 45 participants.
FORMER USCIS OFFICIAL, ACCOMPLICE CHARGED IN ALLEGED $960K CITIZENSHIP BRIBERY SCHEME
Prosecutors say the fake certificates featured unauthorized DHS and FBI seals, leading to the arrest of Mario Cesar Dos Santos, Jr., 50, in Florida after an investigation by DHS, the FBI and FEMA. Santos, an illegal immigrant from Brazil, now faces deportation, in addition to prison time. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images / Middle District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office Case #5:26cr17, USA v. Dos Santos)
In addition to the counterfeit certificates, Dos Santos sold clothing, badges, stickers and other merchandise bearing official seals for DHS and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) — the agency responsible for coordinating federal responses to natural and human-made disasters.
A confidential informant purchased several of these items at a training seminar last year, according to authorities.
TRUMP ADMIN’S FRAUD CRACKDOWN TARGETS FOREIGNERS ACCUSED OF INFILTRATING US FEDERAL PROGRAMS
Prosecutors say the fake certificates featured unauthorized DHS and FBI seals, leading to his arrest in Ocala after an investigation by DHS, the FBI and FEMA. (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, its social media accounts, and a group chat — which had more than 750 members when the investigation launched in August 2025 — actively promoted upcoming courses and displayed an altered DHS seal, authorities said.
The organization also falsely claimed to be accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and the American Council on Education.
Dos Santos faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on Dec. 18.
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The Trump administration has prioritized eliminating fraud, government waste and abuse, establishing the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud led by Vice President JD Vance. FEMA alone investigated more than 2,000 fraud cases in fiscal year 2025, according to DHS.