An alleged member of Dorchester's Norton/Olney/Barry Gang was arrested yesterday on a federal charge of conspiracy to commit kidnapping for the February kidnapping of a man in Quincy, who was allegedly driven in his own pickup to a Saugus garage, where he was bound, beaten and burned with a lit cigarette while his kidnappers arranged ransom - over a Chinese social network - with his family.

Brian Cardoso, 32, actually trailed the victim and cased his house for months before the kidnapping, according to an affidavit by a Somerville police officer who investigated the case as part of the FBI's local Violent Crimes Task Force.

Cardoso was already on federal probation following his 2022 release from 40-month federal sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm - for an earlier drug conviction. He was swept up in a 2020 crackdown on the violent NOB Gang that ended with two dozen members under arrest.

Cardoso was initially arraigned in Quincy District Court on March 4 on charges of receiving stolen property and identity fraud, after he was caught using the kidnapping victim's credit card to buy at least two pairs of sneakers at the Snipes Sneaker Store on Geneva Avenue in Fields Corner. At his arraignment, his lawyer said there was no evidence tying Cardoso to the actual kidnapping.

However, he now faces a potential life sentence following his arrest yesterday on a federal charge that he played an active role in the kidnapping on the night of Feb. 27 - starting with casing the victim for months beforehand.

According to the affidavit, video from numerous surveillance cameras in Quincy showed the car Cardoso drove - a black Malibu his mother was renting - showing up repeatedly on the blocks around the victim's home. The car was also spotted outside the Saugus garage where authorities say the victim was driven to be beaten and forced to communicate with a friend and his wife to get them to collect $150,000 in cash and a $30,000 Rolex to be handed over to the kidnappers in exchange for his freedom.

"The victim also told investigators that, at one point, the kidnappers told him that they had followed him for months. Consistent with this statement, Quincy city cameras recorded CARDOSO's black Chevrolet Malibu on multiple days in February consistent with the vehicle being used for reconnaissance and planning of the kidnapping. For example, on February 6th, CARDOSO's black Chevrolet Malibu was captured multiple times on cameras including within .4 miles of the victim's residence. On February 8th, CARDOSO's black Chevrolet Malibu was captured within .5 miles of the victim's residence. Quincy city cameras recorded CARDOSO's black Chevrolet Malibu in the city on the following other dates in February: the 9th, 11th, 14th, 15th, 18th, 20th, and 21st."

After receiving the ransom, the kidnappers released the victim on Adams Street in Quincy early on Feb. 28.

Around 4:40 p.m. on March 1, the affidavit states, Cardoso used the victim's credit card to buy sneakers in Fields Corner.

On March 3, investigators tracked Cardoso and the Malibu to Hollbrook, where they found a woman behind the wheel, Cardoso in the front passenger seat and an alleged member of the Wendover Gang - which was on friendly terms with NOB - in the back seat.

"Investigators found, among other items, (1) a loaded black Springfield Armory 9mm pistol (bearing serial GM930657) with a laser attachment located in the engine compartment; and (2) two Snipes shopping bags, each of which contained a receipt dated March 1, 2025, and a pair of new shoes in a shoe box. The recovered Snipes evidence was consistent with CARDOSO using the victim’s credit cards within 36 hours of the kidnapping. The handgun with its laser attachment was consistent with the victim’s recollection that one of the firearms used in the kidnapping had a laser on it."

Separately, the affidavit continues, investigators also connected Cardoso with a U-Haul truck he'd rented that was used to haul away eight scooters stolen from the Saugus garage the day after the kidnapping victim was released.

"On or about March 9, 2025, the eight scooters that were stolen from the Saugus garage were located in the yard of 12 Harlow Street, Dorchester, MA - a residential address associated with a well-known NOB gang member/associate."