Mario Cesar Dos Santos, Jr., a 50-year-old resident of Massachusetts, has been indicted and arrested in Ocala, Florida for allegedly using federal government seals without authorization. According to the United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe, Dos Santos faces up to five years in federal prison if convicted.
Court documents state that Dos Santos is the president of Chaplain Emergency Management Agency Inc. (CEMA). He is accused of falsely presenting CEMA as a government agency with endorsement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Authorities allege he used the official seals of FEMA, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) without permission or affiliation.
Investigators report that Dos Santos organized chaplaincy training courses nationwide under CEMA. During these events, participants received identification cards, law enforcement badges, and certificates displaying various federal department seals. The identification cards included a modified DHS seal labeled “U.S. Department of Homeland Chaplain,” while other items featured unaltered DHS/FEMA seals or an older version of the FEMA seal altered with similar wording. Certificates given out at trainings displayed the FBI seal and another variation on the FEMA logo.
Authorities also claim that Dos Santos sold merchandise such as polo shirts, jackets, bumper stickers, badges, and badge holders featuring DHS or FEMA insignia. Undercover agents reportedly purchased these items during a training session held on September 27, 2025.
Additionally, officials say CEMA’s website and social media accounts use altered versions of federal seals and falsely identify CEMA as a legitimate government entity.
Dos Santos is identified as a Brazilian national who entered the United States in 2016 but has overstayed his visa and is currently facing deportation proceedings. In connection with his immigration case, prosecutors allege he submitted fraudulent documents including a “Certificate of Ordination” and a diploma from the “University of Berkley” in Michigan—a school which does not exist.
“An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty,” according to the press release by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
The investigation was conducted by several agencies including the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and the FBI. Support was provided by FEMA, United States Citizenship and Immigration Service’s Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate, and the Federal Air Marshal Service. Assistant United States Attorney Belkis H. Callaos will prosecute the case.
