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.
