The Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro (MPRJ) charged four military police officers with crimes related to the illegal occupation of lots on Avenida das Américas, in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, west of the city. Among those accused, PM Francisco de Assis Ferreira Pereira was accused of embezzlement, forgery of documents, procedural fraud and ideological falsehood. One of the plots of land with false deeds – valued at R$60 million – was dismembered and sold into lots.
At the request of the Specialized Action Group to Combat Organized Crime of the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro (Gaeco), the court of the 5th Criminal Court of the Court of Justice determined the unavailability of assets and the freezing of amounts in bank accounts, in addition to the kidnapping of properties and vehicles in Francisco.
The other military police officers – Edson Raimundo dos Santos, Rafael Ferreira Nunes Carvalho and Wellington da Silva Meirelles Keresbaum – were charged with the crimes of embezzlement, use of a false public document and slanderous denunciation.
Shell companies
According to the complaint, Francisco de Assis Ferreira Pereira had sold lots of land to shell companies, using false deeds and taking possession of the site by force, with threats to the site’s security guard. The objective was to occupy and promote real estate speculation in the area. Investigations estimate that he obtained an illicit asset advantage of at least R$12.5 million, although the land could be worth up to R$60 million.
According to the prosecution, PMs Rafael Ferreira Nunes Carvalho, Edson Raimundo dos Santos and Wellington da Silva Meirelles Keresbaum participated in the invasions on August 2 and 9, 2022, supporting Francisco in the execution of the crimes.
One of those involved, Major Edson dos Santos, who had already been sentenced in 2016 to 13 years in prison for the disappearance and death of bricklayer Amarildo, in the community of Rocinha, whose body has not been located to this day, has been on parole since 2019. The case is also under investigation by the Military Police Internal Affairs.
