Carlos De Oliveira has become the third individual charged with federal felonies in relation to former President Donald Trump’s alleged attempts to retain classified information and obstruct an investigation after leaving office. De Oliveira is identified in the indictment as the property manager at Mar-a-Lago and a former valet.
The charges were filed in a superseding indictment that included three new charges against Trump, bringing the total to 37, and two new counts against his aide Walt Nauta, who previously faced six felonies. Both Trump and Nauta have pleaded not guilty in the case.
What are the allegations against Carlos De Oliveira?
The indictment claims that De Oliveira assisted in moving boxes containing classified information for Trump and asked an employee to delete Mar-a-Lago security camera footage to prevent it from being submitted to a federal grand jury.
Mar-a-Lago, where Trump currently resides, is a private club in Palm Beach, Florida, owned by Trump’s company.
According to the indictment, an attorney for Trump’s company received a grand jury subpoena for the production of surveillance records, videos, and images on June 24, 2022. Prosecutors allege that the following day, Nauta and De Oliveira visited the security guard booth to locate surveillance cameras.
The indictment states that on June 27, De Oliveira took another Trump employee to a small room called an “audio closet” and inquired about the server’s retention period for security footage. The employee estimated it was around 45 days.
The indictment does not identify the employee, but sources report that it is Mar-a-Lago I.T. department employee Yuscil Taveras.
De Oliveira allegedly informed Taveras that “‘the boss’ wanted the server deleted,” but Taveras claimed to be unaware of how to do so and believed he did not have the authority.
During a voluntary interview, federal investigators questioned De Oliveira at his home on Jan. 13 about the location and movement of boxes stored at Mar-a-Lago. In response, De Oliveira denied involvement in unloading and moving the boxes at the end of Trump’s presidency.
De Oliveira also claimed to have no knowledge of where items would have been stored when Trump returned to Mar-a-Lago.
The indictment asserts that De Oliveira’s statements were false since he personally witnessed and assisted in moving Trump’s boxes when they arrived in January 2021.
What happened next?
On Aug. 8, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago and seized over 100 classified documents. The indictment alleges that on Aug. 26, Nauta called an unnamed employee and expressed concern for De Oliveira’s well-being. The employee responded that De Oliveira was loyal and would not do anything to jeopardize his relationship with Trump.
That same day, Trump contacted De Oliveira and promised to provide him with an attorney, according to the indictment.
John Irving, an attorney for De Oliveira, declined to comment on the indictment. It remains unclear if Irving is the attorney referenced in the indictment.
Trump Investigations
Graham Kates is an investigative reporter covering criminal justice, privacy issues, and information security for CBS News Digital. Contact Graham at [email protected] or [email protected]
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