A 66-year-old woman from Revere, Massachusetts, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a wire fraud charge, accused of taking more than $1 million from an 85-year-old man by inventing a Brazilian farmland inheritance that prosecutors say never existed. Announced on Friday, November 13, 2026, the indictment turns a long personal relationship into a federal romance scam case targeting a victim with health and memory problems.

Key Points

• Maria Auxiliadora Rezende, 66, of Revere, Massachusetts, was indicted on one count of wire fraud, announced on Friday, November 13, 2026, by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley.
• Rezende was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
• Prosecutors say she told an 85-year-old Massachusetts man with health and memory issues that she stood to inherit farmland in Brazil, and that he could profit by helping her pay a Brazilian inheritance tax and legal fees.
• The United States Attorney's Office says the farmland, the inheritance tax, the lawyers and the legal fees did not exist.
• The victim sent more than $1 million to Rezende and her associates. Wire fraud carries up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

What Happened

According to the charging documents, Rezende entered a romantic relationship with the 85-year-old victim, a Massachusetts man with health and memory issues. Prosecutors say she told him she stood to inherit farmland in Brazil, and that he could profit from it if he helped pay a purported Brazilian inheritance tax and legal fees.

Prosecutors say none of it was real: the farmland, the inheritance tax, the lawyers and the legal fees did not exist. Even so, the victim sent more than $1 million to Rezende and her associates.

Rezende was arrested on November 10 and charged by criminal complaint. Three days later, a federal grand jury returned the indictment on one count of wire fraud, announced by US Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Demeo of the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation division in Boston. Assistant US Attorney Kristen Kearney is prosecuting the case, investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation unit with help from Homeland Security Investigations and the Secret Service.

Background: Romance Scams and Older Victims

Romance scams are among the most damaging frauds in federal court: they combine a financial crime with a personal betrayal. A scammer builds trust over months or years, then turns that trust into a reason to send money — an emergency, an investment, a tax bill, or, as prosecutors allege here, an inheritance that needs a fee to unlock.

Older victims are a frequent target: people living with health problems or memory loss can be slower to spot a story that does not add up, and more reluctant to question someone they trust — as the charging documents note of this victim.

The Brazilian Times reports the victim is a retired professor in a relationship with Rezende since 2013 — more than a decade of contact before federal charges were filed.

It also fits a wider federal push: the Justice Department's Scam Center Strike Force has charged romance and investment schemes, and this month the US sanctioned 45 targets in the Prince Group scam network, accused of stealing billions from Americans.

The Revere Romance Scam: How Prosecutors Say It Worked

The alleged scheme followed a simple pattern, prosecutors say. First came the relationship: Rezende entered a romantic relationship with the 85-year-old man, building the trust that made everything else possible.

Then came the story: she stood to inherit farmland in Brazil, she said — real and valuable, but with a catch. Before she could claim it, a Brazilian inheritance tax had to be paid, along with the legal fees for the lawyers handling the claim.

Then came the ask: the victim could profit from the farmland if he helped pay those costs. Prosecutors say he did, sending money again and again until the total passed $1 million.

The problem, prosecutors say, is that every part of the story was invented: no farmland, no inheritance tax, no lawyers and no legal fees. The payments were the point of the scheme all along.

Reactions and Statements

The Justice Department's announcement sets out the allegation in the charging documents' own words: Rezende "fraudulently led the victim to believe she stood to inherit farmland in Brazil and that the victim could profit from the farmland if he helped her pay a purported Brazilian inheritance tax and associated legal fees, when in fact the farmland, inheritance tax, lawyers and legal fees did not exist."

The announcement was made jointly by US Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation in Boston — the unit that traced more than $1 million from the victim to Rezende and her associates.

No statement from Rezende or a lawyer for her has been reported. The charge is an allegation, and Rezende is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Why It Matters

The case shows how romance scams work in practice — not as a stranger's message, but as a relationship built over years. A victim who has trusted someone since 2013 is unlikely to treat a request for money as a stranger's trick, which prosecutors say makes these schemes so hard to stop.

It also matters because of who the victim is: an 85-year-old man with health and memory issues is among the most vulnerable targets for financial exploitation, and protecting older Americans from fraud is a stated federal priority.

Finally, the loss matters: more than $1 million is a life-changing sum for most families and turns a fraud case into a federal prosecution with a possible 20-year sentence.

What Happens Next

Rezende now faces the federal court process in Boston. An indictment is a formal accusation, not a finding of guilt, and she will have the chance to answer the charge in court.

If Rezende is convicted, a federal district court judge will impose the sentence under the United States Sentencing Guidelines. The maximum penalty is 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Maria Auxiliadora Rezende?
Rezende, 66, is a woman from Revere, Massachusetts, indicted by a federal grand jury on November 13, 2026, on one count of wire fraud.

What is she accused of?
Prosecutors say she took more than $1 million from an 85-year-old man by falsely claiming she stood to inherit farmland in Brazil and needed help paying a tax and legal fees that did not exist.

How much money was involved?
Prosecutors say the victim sent more than $1 million to Rezende and her associates.

What is wire fraud, and what is the maximum penalty?
Wire fraud covers schemes to defraud using wire communications, such as bank transfers. It carries up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

Is Rezende guilty?
No. An indictment is an allegation, not a verdict. Rezende is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Related coverage: US sanctions 45 targets in Prince Group scam network; FBI adds Iranian operative to most-wanted list.