Two are arrested in Goiás after attacking farmers – 02/13/2024 – Daily Life

Two men were arrested in Goiás for pretending to be bank directors and scamming farmers and businessmen worth up to R$9 million.

The scheme was sophisticated: the scammers went around well dressed, in suits, and scheduled meetings with the victims in high-end locations, such as hotel lounges, which were designed to look like events promoted by financial institutions, according to the police.

The criminals promised to release million-dollar loans to rural producers and businesspeople, with special conditions, in exchange for receiving a percentage as a commission.

The Civil Police of Goiás reported having identified seven victims so far, who suffered losses of more than R$4.7 million. “Everything points to the fact that fraudsters have claimed numerous other victims across the country,” says the institution.

Gilberto Rodrigues de Oliveira, 54, and Girlandio Pereira Chaves, 49, were arrested in Goiânia last Friday (9) by the Group for Suppression of Squandering and Other Fraud, of the Civil Police of Goiás. A third party was involved, who according to the police are Luciano Oliveira Gomes, 49, is at large. A Sheet this Tuesday (13) was unable to identify defenders of those involved.

The BNDES (National Bank for Economic and Social Development) was the institution most used by those investigated to commit the crime. In May, the bank’s president, Aloizio Mercadante, reported these frauds to the then Minister of Justice, Flávio Dino.

The investigation began in December, the month in which a retired prosecutor from the TCE (State Audit Court) of Tocantins suffered a loss of R$1 million when asking for a loan of R$15 million.

As a kind of “guarantee” for the money that would be given to her, the criminals gave her a bag full of fake dollars and fled with the prosecutor’s money. When he was arrested, Oliveira was carrying more than R$39,000 in cash.

The police suspect that the crimes had been committed since 2004. Now, the duo was arrested on suspicion of embezzlement and criminal association. The three involved have varied criminal records, according to police.

Pereira, for example, had an outstanding arrest warrant from the Espírito Santo Court since May 2016.

In the Federal District, according to the Civil Police, the three have been wanted since June last year for fraud totaling R$3.2 million. The police carried out search and seizure warrants in Goiânia that month, but were unable to locate them.

The police in Goiás are publishing photos and names of the suspects with the aim of ensuring that any victims contact the corporation to make reports.