An unlawful immigrant from Brazil has been arrested together with three of his alleged drug runners — additionally Brazilian nationals — on federal fees that they pushed managed substances from their house nation to clients who thought they had been legit pharmaceutical medication.
“For years, these defendants allegedly exploited a community’s trust to peddle black-market prescription drugs under the (guise) of legitimacy,” U.S. Legal professional for Massachusetts Leah Foley mentioned within the announcement of the arrests. “They entered our country illegally and put countless individuals’ health and safety in danger, all for profit.”
Federal prosecutors say that alleged ringleader Douglas Reis de Souza, 40, “held himself out to be a legitimate pharmacist to the Portuguese-speaking community in the greater Framingham area” underneath the shortened type of his precise identify, Douglas Reis, in addition to “Droga Reis,” which is Portuguese for “Drug King.” He allegedly operated his black-market pharmacy out of an condominium in Framingham.
He would hand out enterprise playing cards that mentioned, as translated from the Portuguese, he bought “Remedies from Brazil” that included “contraceptive pills and injectables, injectable cocktail to treat muscular and orthopedic problems” and even “perforation of ear cells,” in line with an affidavit supporting the fees. The cardboard contained a QR code a potential buyer may scan to open a WhatsApp chat with him, so they may talk by way of encrypted means.
Prosecutors say that de Souza would illegally import pharmaceuticals from Brazil after which promote them underneath the desk to the native Brazilian inhabitants within the space. Whereas he allegedly billed himself as an actual pharmacist, his alleged follow made no additional effort towards the gimmick, in line with court docket data.
“At no time did REIS DE SOUZA inquire about (the customer)’s health, medical history, ailments, medications (the customer) is currently taking, or allergies to any medications,” the affidavit states. “Nor has REIS DE SOUZA asked (the customer) if he/she is currently taking prescriptions, a prescription history, or if (the customer) is in the care of a licensed doctor.”
Reis de Souza and three of his alleged drug trafficking group staff, Dekny Marcos de Carvaleho Reis, 33; Dekmara de Carvalho Reis, 34; and Wandiscleia Ferreira de Souza Guimaraes, 41, all of Framingham, had been arrested Monday morning and charged in federal court docket in Boston with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute managed substances.
U.S. District Courtroom Justice of the Peace Decide Donald L. Cabell ordered the defendants detained forward of a full detention listening to scheduled for Thursday. Every defendant was appointed an lawyer, in line with court docket data.
The case was constructed on greater than 140 packages despatched from Brazil to Framingham and surrounding cities seized by U.S. Customs and Border Safety brokers since Nov. 13, 2021, in line with the affidavit. Investigators say that they matched the telephone numbers and addresses related to the shipments to de Souza or his alleged associates.
An instance of the contents was one seized on Might 11, 2023. It was labeled as containing “vitamins” however as a substitute was a cargo of about 120 tablets of alprazolam and 360 tablets containing clonazepam. Each medication, of the benzodiazepine class — downers — are Schedule IV managed substances. Different medication, and a hormone therapy, allegedly discovered within the shipments embody phenobarbital, testosterone, lisdexamfetamine and methylphenidate, all of that are managed substances and require a prescription.
Whereas the feds had been already on de Souza’s case, the Drug Enforcement Administration acquired an nameless tip: “There is a man (called Douglas Souza Reis) from Brazil, who is selling illegal medicines without prescription to the Brazilian community inside the Green at 9 and 90 condominiums in Framingham …” The tip mentioned he was additionally dealing in “Zolpidem, Ritalin, Vyvanse, Dipyrone and Ozempic.
The U.S. Attorney’s office asks that anyone who was a customer of de Souza, who also went by “Droga Reis,” and suffered hurt from the medication to contact them by emailing VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.
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