Influencers from Roraima are accused of involvement in a gambling and money laundering scheme.
Nine digital influencers and a businessman were indicted for being part of a scheme to promote illegal gambling platforms in Roraima. The indictment was filed this Friday (September 4th) by the state's Public Prosecutor's Office.
According to reporting by G1 RR, the group collectively received R$ 67,5 million over approximately two years of operation. The Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime and Money Laundering led the case and, in the same indictment, requested compensation for three identified victims.
The defendants are charged with crimes including operating illegal gambling, making false or misleading statements about products or services, inducing consumers into error, crimes against the public economy, criminal association, and money laundering. Three of them were also charged with fraud.
They are:
⇒ Adrielly Vivianny Araújo de Jesus — influencer;
⇒ Dione dos Santos da Silva — businessman and husband of Adrielly;
⇒ Raniely Silva Carvalho — influencer;
⇒ Patrik Adhan dos Santos Ribeiro — influencer;
⇒ Amanda Lourenço Faria — influencer;
⇒ Laís Ramos Gomes da Silva — influencer;
⇒ Victoria Paixão Barros — influencer;
⇒ Vitória Reis da Silva — influencer;
⇒ Juliana Lima do Nascimento — influencer;
⇒ Gildázio Sobrinho Santos Cardoso — influencer.
How the scheme worked
According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, the influencers published stories, reels, and videos on social media with personalized links to clandestine platforms. In the posts, they displayed supposed earnings, vehicles, properties, and trips to attract followers with the promise of easy money.
Followers were directed to the platforms to register and make deposits. The promoters, in turn, received commissions for recruiting new bettors. To amplify the effect, they used demo accounts provided by the platforms themselves to simulate significant and unrealistic winnings.
After depositing funds, victims saw supposed profits and were encouraged to continue betting. However, when trying to withdraw larger amounts, they encountered blocks or refusals to withdraw the money.
Three interconnected cores
The Public Prosecutor's Office described the criminal organization as structured in three core groups. The first, operational and business-oriented, brought together those responsible for managing the platforms, financial operators, and payment intermediaries. The second, responsible for dissemination and fundraising, was made up of influencers. The third core group was allegedly responsible for concealing and disguising the origin of the funds obtained through the scheme.
Money laundering occurred through the movement of funds through different financial institutions, personal and corporate accounts, as well as transfers between the defendants and third parties. The funds were also converted into vehicles, real estate, travel, and cosmetic procedures.
Prosecutor Carlos Alberto Melotto, who filed the complaint, stated that “we are talking about a scheme that exploits people's trust and the expectation of obtaining financial gains, causing losses that can compromise the income and assets of the victims. The Public Prosecutor's Office seeks to interrupt this cycle, hold those involved accountable, and prevent structures like this from continuing to use social media to reach new consumers.”
What the defenses say
Raniely Silva Carvalho's defense stated that "the accusations do not correspond to the reality of the facts" and affirmed that it will demonstrate, at the appropriate procedural moment, the absence of criminal responsibility on the part of its client.
The defense for Adrielly, Dione, and Patrik stated that they "will make their statements in the court records and will not reveal any technical strategy." The defense for Gildázio Cardoso denied the crimes attributed to him and affirmed that they "trust that they will be guaranteed the right to a fair trial, full defense, and due process," emphasizing that the filing of charges does not imply conviction and that the presumption of innocence remains in effect until a final judicial decision.
The defense attorneys for Victoria and Vitória, who are under investigation, were contacted but had not responded by the time this article was published.
