Arraignment held for man facing fraud charges: Threats allegedly made on woman’s life, family

Worcester Telegram ^ | 6/4/08 | Thompson

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WESTBORO, MA — A Northboro man scheduled to go on trial in September for $25,000 in credit card fraud and threatening to kill the alleged victim and her family was arraigned yesterday and charged with fraudulently obtaining nearly $16,000 by using a Grafton woman’s credit information.

Natalino L. Silva Jr., 41, of 210 Brewer St., Northboro, is charged with forgery of a document and identity fraud. He was arraigned in Westboro District Court yesterday. Judge Paul S. Waickowski set a July 9 pretrial hearing and cash bail at $2,500. According to court records, his wife, Maria D. Amaral-Silva, posted the bail after his arraignment.

Northboro police filed the charges after Venessa Amaral and her husband, Wanderson Amaral, came to the station in March to report an alleged fraud case. They said that in 2006, they were interested in refinancing their home and met with Mr. Silva, who told them he had knowledge of the housing market.

Mr. Silva allegedly told them he could get them a lower mortgage rate and asked for Mrs. Amaral’s personal information in order to check her credit. He later told the couple that he had not been able to get a lower interest rate for them.

The couple told police they thought their dealings with Mr. Silva were over, but later found out that he had received an $8,000 loan in Mrs. Amaral’s name. The statements were sent to Mr. Silva’s Brewer Street address.

Police said when they questioned Mr. Silva, he admitted to opening the account and forging Mrs. Amaral’s signature, but he said she allowed him to do so, providing he made the monthly payments.

A Sept. 10 jury trial is scheduled for Mr. Silva in two previous cases. On Sept. 6, 2006, Northboro police charged him with larceny over $250 and credit card fraud over $250. The following month, he was charged with threatening to commit a crime. The alleged victim, Zirmar R. Silva, 58, also known as Zirmar Rodrigues Bushard, lived at 39 Pleasant St., Northboro. Zirmar Silva is not related to Natalino Silva.

Ms. Silva told police that she met and befriended Mr. Silva and his wife a year after she moved here from Brazil in 1993. She said she had no family in the United States, and considered the couple her brother and sister. Because Mr. Silva did not have any credit, she co-signed a mortgage for him for a home at 141 Howard St.During the next 13 months, Ms. Silva found out that Mr. Silva had obtained several credit cards in Ms. Silva’s name and ran them up to about $20,000. Ms. Silva said when she confronted Mr. Silva, he admitted to stealing her Social Security number to obtain the credit. He apologized and promised to repay her, but didn’t, court records show.

During the investigation, an agent with National Lending Corp. in Saugus told police that Mr. Silva wanted to refinance the home at 141 Howard St. in order to get approximately $20,000 in equity to repay Ms. Silva.

Ms. Silva told police Mr. Silva became angry and threatened to kill her and her family when he found out the house did not have enough equity to pay off the debt. A lawyer she contacted called Mr. Silva about the fraud, police records show. Ms. Silva said Mr. Silva tried to pressure her into signing the home over to him.

“He told me if I did not sign the paperwork for the transfer of the property, your family in Brazil will have a very bad accident and I am going to kill you,” the woman’s lawyer translated into English in the written statement.

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Some clueless people are just born to be victims, it seems.