The Essex County Sheriff's Office, led by Sheriff Amir D. Jones, officially certified on July 15, 2026 that a review of its records revealed no criminal record on file regarding César Manuel Cardoso Matos DePaço. This document joins the certificates already issued by the FBI and the New Jersey State Police, forming a set of three official attestations that cover the three jurisdictional levels applicable in the United States of America.
The certification, signed by Executive Undersheriff Arthur Jorge, is unambiguous:
This letter certifies that a check of our records indicates that the Essex County Sheriff's Office has no criminal record with the above-mentioned individual.
With this document, César DePaço now holds the most complete official verification that a private individual residing in New Jersey can obtain regarding criminal record standing in the United States, covering every jurisdictional level applicable:
- Federal (U.S.) — Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Criminal Justice Information Services Division, August 13, 2026
- State (New Jersey) — New Jersey State Police, August 14, 2026
- Local / County (Essex County, NJ) — Essex County Sheriff's Office, July 15, 2026
A triple attestation across the full jurisdictional spectrum
The three documents, issued by distinct and independent authorities, are the result of formal inquiries to criminal databases maintained at the highest standard of rigor by U.S. authorities. No private individual can gather more complete credentials to demonstrate, before American institutions and public opinion, a clean record in matters of a criminal nature.
It should be noted, with intellectual honesty, that the document issued by the Essex County Sheriff's Office contains an express scope disclaimer, clarifying that the search covers exclusively the database of that county, and does not include records held by any other municipal, state, or federal agency. It is precisely for that reason that this document is integrated into a complete package, in which the FBI and New Jersey State Police certificates — both based on fingerprint-based searches — cover the federal and state levels.
Three decades in the United States
Based in the United States for approximately thirty years, César DePaço is founder and Executive Director of Summit Nutritionals International Inc.® and Chairman of the Board of the DePaço Foundation. Over the years, he has stood out for his unwavering support of American law enforcement, with regular donations to police departments across multiple states — including Essex County itself, whose Sheriff's Office has previously benefited from the DePaço Foundation's direct support in funding two police dogs (K-9).
Full transparency before public opinion
The public release of this third certificate reflects César DePaço's ongoing commitment to complete transparency before public opinion, at a time when he continues to be the target of media narratives in Portugal that insinuate — without any factual basis — alleged connections to matters of a criminal nature.
Three official documents. Three separate authorities. One and the same conclusion.
