Federal prosecutors say an 85-year-old Massachusetts man with health and memory problems sent more than $1 million to help a woman he was romantically involved with pay a Brazilian inheritance tax on farmland she said she would inherit. According to prosecutors, there was no farmland, no tax, and no lawyers.
Maria Auxiliadora Rezende, 66, of Revere, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced. She was arrested and charged by complaint on November 10, 2026. She is presumed innocent. Here is what the government alleges, what the charge carries, and the Massachusetts laws on financial exploitation of older adults.
What prosecutors allege
The U.S. Attorney’s Office press release and the charging documents, as reported by Boston.com, describe the following. These are allegations that have not been proven.
- How they met. Rezende met the man, a retired professor, in 2013 through a class he was teaching, and they later began a romantic relationship, according to the criminal complaint as reported by Boston.com.
- The story. She allegedly told him she was the illegitimate daughter of Iris Rezende, a longtime Brazilian politician who was mayor of Goiânia from 2017 until his death in 2021, and led him to believe she stood to inherit valuable farmland near that city, Boston.com reported, citing court records.
- The ask. She allegedly convinced him he could profit from the farmland if he helped pay “a purported Brazilian inheritance tax and associated legal fees,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
- The paperwork. In or about 2020, she introduced him to purported attorneys, who drafted a contract forming a holding company to own the farmland, with 49 percent for him and 51 percent for her, according to court records reported by Boston.com.
- The money. “As a result of the fraud, it is alleged that the victim sent Rezende and her associates more than $1 million,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. The office alleges that “the farmland, inheritance tax, lawyers and legal fees did not exist.”
- How it unraveled. The man’s adult children became concerned and hired counsel in Brazil, Boston.com reported. The man began questioning the scheme in or about April 2025. Investigators found probable cause to believe one purported attorney was using a real Brazilian lawyer’s identity without his knowledge, and the family’s Brazilian attorney could find no farmland matching the description, according to court filings reported by Boston.com.
- His condition. Court records describe the man as suffering from “end-stage renal disease, confusion, and a medical assessment suggesting Alzheimer’s dementia,” Boston.com reported.
Her attorney did not immediately respond to Boston.com’s request for comment.
The federal charge
We read 18 U.S.C. § 1343 at govinfo.gov. Wire fraud applies to anyone who, “having devised or intending to devise any scheme or artifice to defraud, or for obtaining money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises,” uses interstate or foreign wire communications to carry it out.
- Maximum penalty. Up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Actual sentences are set by a judge under the federal Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
- Who investigated. IRS Criminal Investigation, with help from Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Secret Service, the office said.
What Massachusetts law says about this kind of conduct
The case is federal, but Massachusetts has its own laws on taking money from older adults. We read them at malegislature.gov.
- Larceny from someone 60 or older. Under G.L. c. 266, § 30(5), anyone who “with intent to defraud obtains by a false pretense” the property of a person 60 or older commits larceny. If the value exceeds $250, the penalty is up to 10 years in state prison or 2½ years in the house of correction, a fine of up to $50,000, or both. For other victims, the state prison maximum is five years. The court may order restitution “regardless of the value of the property.”
- Financial exploitation. Under G.L. c. 19A, § 14, financial exploitation is an act or omission that causes “a substantial monetary or property loss to an older adult.” An older adult’s consent does not excuse it if “such consent is a consequence of misrepresentation, undue influence, coercion or threat of force.” Bona fide gifts are excluded.
- Who must report. Under § 15(a), doctors, nurses, social workers, police, firefighters, EMTs, council on aging directors and other listed professionals who have “reasonable cause to believe” an older adult is being abused, which includes financial exploitation, must report it immediately and in writing within 48 hours. A mandated reporter who fails to report faces a fine of up to $1,000.
- Anyone can report. Under § 15(c), any other person may report, and under § 15(d) a good-faith reporter is not liable in a civil or criminal action for making the report.
How to report suspected financial exploitation
Massachusetts Adult Protective Services takes reports about adults 60 and older 24 hours a day at (800) 922-2275, or online at mass.gov, according to the Executive Office of Aging & Independence. Reports can be made anonymously by phone; the online system requires your name. Reports are usually reviewed the same day. If abuse is confirmed, the older adult decides whether to accept a plan of action, and investigators work with law enforcement where a crime may have been committed.
Warning signs in this case
The allegations follow a pattern seen in many romance and investment scams:
- a relationship that leads to requests for money;
- a large payoff that requires the victim to pay fees or taxes first;
- assets and lawyers in another country that are hard to check; and
- a victim whose health or memory makes verification harder.
Here, prosecutors say it was the man’s family, hiring their own lawyer in Brazil, who found that the farmland could not be located.
Frequently asked questions
What is Maria Auxiliadora Rezende charged with?
One count of wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343, in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Boston. She is presumed innocent.
What is the penalty for wire fraud?
Up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, if any, would be decided by a federal judge.
Is it a crime in Massachusetts to take money from an elderly person by lying?
Yes. G.L. c. 266, § 30(5) makes obtaining property from someone 60 or older by false pretense a larceny, punishable by up to 10 years in state prison when the value is over $250.
How do I report elder financial abuse in Massachusetts?
Call Adult Protective Services at (800) 922-2275, 24 hours a day, or file online at mass.gov. Phone reports can be anonymous.
Sources: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts press release, “Revere Woman Indicted for Wire Fraud Arising from Million Dollar Romance and Investment Fraud Scheme.” Boston.com, November 15, 2026, citing court filings. 18 U.S.C. § 1343, read at govinfo.gov. G.L. c. 266, § 30 and c. 19A, §§ 14 and 15, read at malegislature.gov. Executive Office of Aging & Independence, “Report Abuse of Adults Aged 60+,” read at mass.gov. General information, not legal advice.