Man arrested in ES pretended to be a PF delegate and offered information on security agents to the PCC in SP | Holy Spirit

The leader of a criminal organization that scammed people interested in buying and obtaining possession of firearms was arrested in Espírito Santo. Homero Vieira de Almeida pretended to be a Federal Police delegate and representative of an Italian weapons company.

He is suspected of committing multiple crimes in less than a year, having even sold information from Brazilian security agents – who were his clients – to a group linked to the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), in São Paulo.

The suspect acted with his wife Mayra dos Santos Silva and his partner Diego Conceição Diodato. In less than a year, more than R$800,000 were transferred.

Investigations also indicated that the suspects provided victim data to other criminals and obtained fraudulent loans. In addition to the scams, a bank robbery was being organized.

Homero was arrested on February 29, when he was traveling in a luxury vehicle along the ES-060, in Vila Velha, also in Greater Vitória. However, information about the arrest and criminal association was released this Wednesday (8), following investigations by Operation Apate.

Among the clients who suffered the blow are military and civil police officers from all over Brazil, as well as collectors and hunters. The victims who wanted to buy the weapons suffered losses of up to R$45,000.

Homero even created a website for the fake store, through which he simulated the sale of weapons and accessories to security agents, collectors, CACs, among others.

According to the Civil Police, investigations began after a bank branch in Cariacica, in Greater Vitória, contacted the Specialized Police Station for Fraud and Forgery Crimes (Defa) and reported that there were two people there trying to carry out a withdrawal that , according to the bank’s security system, would be the result of fraud.

At the time, Homero identified himself as a federal police officer and was with one of his accomplices.

“Two police officers went to the scene and took one of these individuals, Diego Diodato, to be interviewed. Until this moment, we were suspecting the crime of fraud against the banking institution, but immediately we saw that Homero was not federal delegate as he presented himself and the investigations progressed”, said delegate Alan Andrade, head of Defa at the time of the investigation.

When Homero was arrested, the police seized two cell phones whose information was analyzed. It was discovered that the suspect posed as a representative of two Italian firearms brands.

He advertised the sale of weapons at a price below market value and his customers were mainly civil and military police officers, collectors, reservists and sports shooters. The weapons, however, were not actually delivered to the buyers.

In addition to scamming potential gun buyers, Homero deceived people interested in having the right to carry weapons, charging amounts to advance the process.

“He told anyone who wanted to carry a firearm that he had a friend who was a Federal Police chief and if the person paid the amount of R$15,000 he would find a way,” explained the police chief.

Furthermore, in possession of the data of police clients, who sent copies of documents and photos of their functional licenses, the suspect sold this data – including addresses and identification – to other criminals.

“We had the unfortunate surprise of seeing that Homero created a database with information from security agents throughout Brazil and tried to sell these wallets incessantly to a group linked to the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) in São Paulo. We believe that with this information he wanted to feed these criminal factions with information that could harm the lives of these police officers”, said Alan.

Also through information obtained from seized cell phones, the police discovered that this same group was planning a bank robbery in Espírito Santo.

“The suspects already had a well-defined action plan, but the Civil Police’s action was quick and we managed to prevent this crime”, said delegate Alan Andrade.

With the large volume of money that the group began to receive, so that it didn’t all go into his personal account, the suspect worked with several oranges.

According to the police, Homero paid R$500 per month to anyone who opened an account in his name and gave him a login and password, and moved this money through his wife Mayra dos Santos Silva’s company.

The suspect also created a fictitious company and offered false job vacancies, obtaining data from people interested in the job and also using it for criminal purposes.

“He asked for access to these people’s gov.br and, with that, he delved into the person’s life, took all the documents, digital signatures, took out loans”, detailed the delegate.

The first phase of Operation Apate has been completed. Homer is arrested, his wife and accomplice are denounced. The three were charged with embezzlement, digital embezzlement, criminal association, false reporting of a crime and money laundering.

However, investigations will continue because the police have already realized that there are other oranges and other people involved in this criminal operation.

The name of the operation was inspired, according to Greek culture, by a spirit that personified deceit, deceit and deceit. “Since the suspect’s name is Homer, of Greek descent, we saw fit to give him a name that was linked to his name”, explained the delegate.