Federal agents have tracked a 47-year-old Brazilian man to Florida, accusing him of playing a key role in a $200,000 armed robbery of a cash courier in Marlborough last fall. The suspect, identified by prosecutors as Helbert Oliveira, is now facing federal charges that allege he used a gun to force the courier to hand over a bag of cash, the culmination of a months-long probe that leaned heavily on surveillance footage and vehicle records.
According to the Boston Herald, the robbery went down on Nov. 18, 2025. A courier working for a check-cashing business was on a run from Framingham to Marlborough when he was forced to surrender about $200,000. Prosecutors say surveillance video shows a man displaying a pistol and taking the victim's purse by force. Oliveira has been charged with Hobbs Act robbery and conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery.
Federal Charges Pack Serious Heat
The Hobbs Act is the federal statute prosecutors reach for when a robbery touches interstate commerce. It carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. High-dollar courier stickups like this one often trigger federal attention and coordination between local police, the FBI and federal prosecutors.
Rental Rogue, Paper Trail and a Co-Defendant
Investigators say a black Nissan Rogue that shadowed the courier for much of the route became a crucial lead. The SUV was a rental from Enterprise, and the listed renter was identified as Curt Porcher, who was arrested in February, according to prosecutors. Porcher is scheduled to change his plea on July 21, 2026. Authorities say Oliveira was later taken into custody in Florida as part of the same investigation, in what the Boston Herald reports is the latest round of arrests.
A Familiar Playbook in Courier Heists
Federal prosecutors in Massachusetts have repeatedly leaned on the Hobbs Act to go after crews that target cash couriers and large cash transfers. One high-profile example was a 2024 Swansea case in which suspects were indicted after allegedly stealing more than $436,000 from a courier. That prosecution and similar cases highlight the kind of multiagency work and rental-vehicle tracing that often crack these investigations, according to reporting on three suspects indicted in $436K armed robbery.
What Comes Next in Federal Court
Oliveira is expected to be brought before federal authorities in Massachusetts to face the Hobbs Act counts. Upcoming court filings and hearings should shed more light on the alleged roles of Oliveira and Porcher and on the full timeline of the robbery. As with any federal prosecution, the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
