Brazilian Couple Convicted Of Kidnapping Grandson From Houston

HOUSTON — An international businessman and his wife were convicted of international parental kidnapping by a federal jury, officials with the U.S. Attorney's office announced Wednesday. Carlos Otavio Guimaraes, 68, and Jemima Guimaraes, 66 were convicted after two days of deliberation.

The couple were arrested after their plan landed at Miami International Airport in February, and faced charges of charged with conspiracy and international parental kidnapping.

They are accused of helping their daughter, Marcelle Guimaraes, 40, in the kidnapping scheme. In July 2013, Marcelle Guimaraes and her son traveled to Brazil to attend a family event, but were supposed to return to Houston no later than July 20, 2013.

The child was never returned to the United States. The jury heard how the child’s mother allegedly orchestrated a plan to travel to Brazil for her brother’s wedding via an agreed travel agreement as part of the pending divorce between her and her husband.

While she was in Brazil, she went to a Brazilian state court and obtained custody of the minor, and from that moment forward, the father of the child was limited in his ability to visit with his son.

His visits were supervised by private security. His father said his son no longer speaks English, and he had to learn Portuguese to navigate the Brazilian legal system and communicate with his son.

The court imposed a three-month sentence for Carlos Guimaraes, while Jemima was ordered to serve one month. Both will also be ordered to serve one year of supervised release following their terms of imprisonment during which time they will be required to remain in the United States.

The court continued its order that both their U.S. and Brazilian passports remain surrendered and they cannot obtain new ones.

The court also ordered the defendants may not have any contact with their fugitive co-defendant daughter, but placed no prohibition on communicating with their grandson.
Each was also ordered to pay a $75,000 fine. Restitution will be determined at a later date, but could be in excess of $400,000.

The defendants claimed the mother was fleeing from domestic violence, but the jury rejected that defense. The jury ultimately found Carlos and Jemima Guimaraes helped their daughter in the international parental kidnapping of their grandson.

They were permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Marcelle Guimaraes is also charged but remains a fugitive in Brazil.

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