The year of influencers behind bars: see the fate of 10 digital celebrities imprisoned in 2025.
The year 2025 was marked by a series of scandals involving digital influencers in São Paulo. Well-known names on social media, who have or had millions of followers and advertising contracts, ended up behind bars and became the target of investigations.
The accusations range from failure to pay child support, domestic violence, street racing, illegal possession of a firearm, child rape, money laundering, theft, child pornography, to contempt of court.
Among the celebrities who were arrested this year are:
⇒ Black Cat
⇒ 'Campari Bald Man'
⇒ Less Kabrinha
⇒ Maumau
Captain Hunter
⇒ Buzeira
⇒ Gabriel Spalone
⇒ Hytalo Santos and Euro
⇒Toguro
According to Issaf Santos Karhawi, a professor at the School of Communications and Arts (ECA) at the University of São Paulo (USP), who has been studying influencers for over ten years, any problem involving these digital personalities will always receive more attention than that of an ordinary citizen.
"The work of digital influencers has a lot of visibility," the researcher told g1. She says she is in favor of the monitoring of social networks by regulatory bodies and authorities, especially when influencers use their own internet pages to commit crimes.
“We have influencers who were arrested, in fact, because of a direct connection to their work as influencers. I think Hytalo Santos is an example. And other influencers who were arrested for money laundering associated with gambling,” said Issaf.
She mentions a study released in 2022 by the German-American information, data, and mediation company Nielsen Media Research, which indicated that Brazil had around 500 digital influencers at that time.
"In Brazil, we have more influencers than dentists, civil engineers, and architects," the professor stated. Three years ago, there were 374 dentistry graduates and 455 civil engineers in the country, according to Nielsen.
Issaf understands that even with the arrests of some influencers, there is a possibility that their followers will increase, since there are people interested in knowing what happened to them afterward. "I think there's that curiosity."
Here are the main cases involving influencers in 2025:
Black Cat: December 14th
Influencer Samuel Sant'anna, known as Gato Preto, was arrested last Sunday (14) in São Paulo by the Military Police (PM), in compliance with an arrest warrant for failure to pay child support.
According to the Penitentiary Administration Secretariat (SAP), on Monday (15) he was transferred to the Provisional Detention Center (CDP) 2 in Guarulhos, in the metropolitan region. And until Wednesday (17) he remained there.
The influencer owes more than R$ 57 in debt to one of his children, from a past relationship in the São José dos Campos region, in the interior of São Paulo state. The decision to arrest him was made by the court.
In August of this year, Gato Preto made headlines after being involved in a traffic accident on Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima, in the western part of the capital.
Security cameras recorded the moment when the Porsche he was driving ran a red light at high speed and crashed into a Hyundai HB20 that was passing by on Elvira Ferraz Street. The driver of the vehicle and his son were injured.
Videos recorded by witnesses show Gato Preto showing signs of intoxication inside the luxury car. In the passenger seat was influencer Bia Miranda, his then-girlfriend. The two left the scene in another car without providing assistance to the victims.
Hours later, the Military Police (PM) detained the influencer, who was taken to the police station to give his version of the accident. In September, a toxicology report from the Forensic Medical Institute (IML) confirmed that Gato Preto had consumed alcohol and drugs before driving.
In October, the court changed the charge against the influencer from bodily harm to attempted murder. He is also being investigated by the police on suspicion of money laundering through gambling.
g1 is trying to locate Gato Preto's defense team for comment on the matter.
Thiago Schutz, the 'Campari Baldy': November 29th
Coach and influencer Thiago da Cruz Schoba — known as Thiago Schutz, "Calvo do Campari" and "Coach do Campari" — was arrested in the early hours of November 29th in Salto, in the interior of São Paulo state.
The Military Police (PM) arrested him in the act, at his home, after his girlfriend accused him of assault and attempted rape in the context of domestic violence. The court granted a protective order to the victim, who recorded a video showing Thiago in an altered state.
Hours after his arrest, Thiago went through a custody hearing and was released by court order. The 37-year-old will have to comply with restrictive measures, such as not approaching his 30-year-old wife.
The influencer uses his social media to promote the "red pill" movement, which defends misogynistic male and feminist narratives.
His Instagram account had over 450 followers until it disappeared from the site. In December, the Public Prosecutor's Office requested the reopening of a case against Thiago. He is accused of threatening and committing psychological violence against two other women.
Actress Lívia La Gatto and singer Bruna Volpi were victims of the influencer in 2023. The case was suspended as long as Thiago did not become involved in new accusations – which occurred in November, when he began to face charges of domestic violence against a then-girlfriend.
Thiago even stated on his Instagram that he is innocent of the accusations.
Meno Kabrinha: November 27th
Influencer Gustavo Henrique Ramos Silva, known as Meno Kabrinha, was arrested on November 27th by the Civil Police during an operation against a group that used social media to organize and schedule motorcycle "rides" in the East Zone of São Paulo.
He is being investigated on suspicion of committing crimes such as: criminal association, street racing, reckless driving, and driving without a license. Six other people were arrested in the same police operation.
In a statement released by the Public Security Secretariat (SSP) on December 10, the department informed that Meno Cabrinha was released by the Justice system after the end of his temporary detention.
The digital influencer is 20 years old and has a legion of fans on Instagram. He has over 7 million followers across three social media platforms.
Meno Kabrinha became famous on the internet for posting videos and photos of himself performing illegal motorcycle stunts: he does wheelies and rides them without a helmet, which is also a traffic violation. He also appears with vehicles without license plates, barefoot, and at high speeds.
A Porsche and at least 20 high-powered motorcycles were seized during the execution of search and seizure warrants at the properties of the targets. The Porsche does not belong to Kabrinha – the vehicle belongs to another suspect.
g1 is attempting to contact the influencer's defense team for comment on the matter.
Maumau: November 8th
Influencer Mauricio Martins Júnior, also known as Maumau ZK, was arrested on November 8th in Arujá, Greater São Paulo, for illegal possession of a firearm during an operation by the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police.
He was the target of a search and seizure warrant on suspicion of involvement in a criminal scheme promoting illegal online gambling, such as the infamous "Little Tiger Game." But he would not be arrested.
However, since a .38 caliber weapon with a scratched-off serial number was found in Maumau's mansion, the influencer was arrested on the spot. He has over 3 million followers on Instagram. He often posts photos and videos interviewing celebrities. He also shows off his luxury gated community, with a swimming pool, and imported cars alongside his wife and daughter.
Maumau was released by the courts hours after being arrested. He was being held in a prison unit in Guarulhos, in Greater São Paulo. However, he is currently free while facing charges of illegal possession of a firearm.
His defense claims that the client is innocent.
Captain Hunter: October 22
João Paulo Manoel, a YouTuber and influencer known as Captain Hunter, has been in jail since October 22nd. The 45-year-old man is being investigated by the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police on suspicion of rape of a vulnerable person and production of pornographic content involving a teenager.
A 13-year-old girl has been identified by the police investigating the case as one of the victims. She lives in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Captain Hunter was arrested by authorities at his home in Santo André, in Greater São Paulo.
The girl was a fan of his. Captain Hunter is the character created by João Paulo to interact with children and teenagers who are fans of Pokémon on social media – on Instagram alone, he had over 1 million followers.
YouTuber Captain Hunter is arrested on suspicion of child sexual exploitation and rape of a vulnerable person. — Photo: Reproduction/Social media
He published videos and photos for children and teenagers about games, cartoons, collectible cards, and licensed products featuring creatures from that universe.
According to the police, the man communicated with the girl via social media using video messages, offering gifts in exchange for intimate images of her. Her parents discovered the content of the messages and notified the police in Rio de Janeiro.
According to the Public Security Secretariat (SSP), he remains imprisoned in the “Santo André Public Jail”. The case continues to be investigated by the Child and Adolescent Victim Police Station (DCAV) in Rio. He was recently indicted for rape of a vulnerable person and production of pornographic content involving a minor under 18 years of age.
Captain Hunter's defense denies the accusations.
Buzeira: October 14th
Influencer Bruno Alexssander Souza Silva, known as Buzeira, has been in jail since October 14, when he was caught in a Federal Police (PF) operation investigating a money laundering scheme and involvement with international drug trafficking.
The arrest took place in Igaratá, a luxury gated community where the 28-year-old influencer lived with his family in the interior of São Paulo. With over 15 million followers on Instagram, Buzeira became famous for promoting online giveaways on his social media, where he posts videos and photos of his mansion showcasing the luxury sports cars he acquired.
He is being investigated in Operation Narco Bet on suspicion of participating in a gang that carried out financial transactions with evidence of money laundering through raffles. The case is ongoing.
Buzeira's defense denies the accusations. He remains detained at the Iperó Penitentiary, in the interior of São Paulo state, according to the Penitentiary Administration Secretariat (SAP).
Gabriel Spalone: September 27
Owner of fintech companies, entrepreneur and influencer Gabriel Spalone, 29, was arrested by authorities on September 27 in Greater Buenos Aires. On November 21, he was extradited from Argentina to Brazil.
He is currently being held at the Provisional Detention Center (CDP) in Guarulhos, in Greater São Paulo. Sapalone is a defendant in the São Paulo courts, accused of aggravated theft and criminal association for the illegal diversion of more than R$ 146 million from a bank via PIX.
Gabriel Spalone is 29 years old and is an entrepreneur and digital influencer — Photo: Reproduction/Personal archive
The influencer has over 800 followers on Instagram. He was considered a fugitive after being targeted in Operation Dubai against cybercrimes.
According to the Civil Police, Spalone and the other two defendants used the credentials of a service provider to access the accounts of the financial institution that had the money embezzled. Then, according to the police, the gang used several bank accounts to receive the transfers via PIX (Brazil's instant payment system). The fraud was eventually noticed by one of the banks, which alerted the police.
His defense team stated that they will prove their client's innocence in court.
Hytalo Santos and Euro: August 15th
The couple Hítalo José Santos Silva, known as Hytalo Santos, and Israel Nata Vicente, known as Euro, have been in prison since August 15th.
They were wanted by the police after the Paraíba court ordered the influencers' arrests for sexual crimes involving children and adolescents and forced labor. They were eventually arrested in Carapicuíba, in the interior of São Paulo, where they had been hiding.
Hytalo and Euro were arrested after another influencer, Felca, released the documentary video "Adultification," denouncing the couple and other influencers for exploiting and sexualizing minors under 18 years of age. They filmed and photographed girls and boys in swimwear performing sensual choreography.
On August 28, Hytalo and Euro were transferred by plane to a prison unit in Paraíba. Currently, both are defendants in court, serving time in custody for the crimes of producing pornographic content involving children and adolescents, as well as for labor analogous to slavery.
In a video of the influencers' testimonies, obtained by Fantástico, they deny all the accusations (see above).
Toguro: January 9
The influencer and businessman from São Paulo, Tiago Ribeiro de Lima, known as Toguro, famous in the fitness world, was arrested on January 9th for disrespecting traffic officers in Balneário Camboriú, Santa Catarina.
He was detained and handcuffed by the Municipal Civil Guard (GCM) after being accused of trying to prevent traffic officers from towing his car, which had no license plates and was parked in a prohibited location.
Taken to the police station, Toguro signed a "detailed statement" and was released. On social media, after his arrest, he stated that he "still hasn't been able" to understand the reason for his arrest and considered the case to be over a "stupid reason."
Toguro is an entrepreneur and physical education teacher. He gained notoriety after making videos in the fitness segment, focusing on bodybuilding and healthy living. On one of his social media accounts, he has over 9,4 million followers.
Impact on the digital market
The cases of 2025 have raised concerns about the relationship between fame, easy money, and illegal practices. Experts point out that the lack of clear regulation for influencers facilitates abuses. Brands and sponsors are already beginning to review contracts to avoid association with scandals.
