RMV Worker Facing Corruption Charges

A clerk at the Registry of Motor Vehicles in Watertown was ordered held on $50,000 cash bail after pleading not guilty on Nov. 16 to corruption and bribery charges, according to 7News. 

Adriana Ferreira was arrested on Nov. 16 in Watertown on charges that she allegedly defrauded illegal immigrants by promising them drivers licenses in exchange for money. Authorities, however, say she never delivered them. She also claimed to have a contact at the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency that could delay deportations in exchange for cash. 

According to 7News, authorities caught her taking cash in exchange for licenses during an undercover sting, something they say she called "easy money." When her victims complained about not receiving licenses, she allegedly threatened to report her victims to immigration authorities and to police for allegedly trying to bribe a public official. 

According to authorities, Ferreira, 48, became known in the local Brazilian community as someone who could “fix things,’’ could get driver’s licenses for a price and could soothe over things with immigration officials to prevent deportation, reported Boston.com.

Ferreira allegedly charged between $500 and $4,100 for her service, but never delivered on her way to collecting about $8,600 from five people between 2009 and 2011, authorities allege.

When victims realized Ferreira wouldn’t provide the documents, and confronted her, she threatened them by saying she would call immigration officials. In some cases she did call immigration, but it was unclear whether her contacting them led to any deportations, reported Boston.com.