BROCKTON, Mass. (WLNE) — The Massachusetts Department of Justice said a Brockton man was sentenced for lying that he lost his U.S. passport to get a replacement, when in reality it was taken due to his arrest related to two murders in Cabo Verde. 42-year-old Johnny Barros Brandao was sentenced to five years in prison, follow by two years supervised release on Jan. 13 after being convicted of passport fraud in October 2024. On March 27, 2014, Brandao allegedly shot a person in the head in Cabo Verde, stole 1.5 million Cape Verdean Escudos from the victim, and dumped their body on the side of the road next to a waste dump, according to the DOJ. On July 26, 2021 the defendant allegedly shot another victim and dumped their body in the same location as the first victim. According to the DOJ, Brandao was arrested for the murders and had his passport taken by Cabo Verde’s prosecutor’s office. After serving pretrial detention, he was released subject to supervision. On Dec. 28, 2022, he applied for a replacement passport at the U.S. Embassy in Senegal, where he claimed he lost it when out for dinner in Dakar, Senegal on Dec. 25. The DOJ said Brandao is wanted for murder and other crimes in Cabo Verde. Categories: Massachusetts, News