Brazilian investigators have linked a retired federal police officer to an illegal gambling network allegedly connected to one of the country’s most prominent Jogo do Bicho figures.
According to investigations by the Federal Police and the Public Prosecutor's Office of the State of Rio de Janeiro (MPRJ), former officer Gilberto Ferreira Pereira, 65, is suspected of managing illegal betting operations for the criminal group led by Aílton Guimarães Jorge, widely known as “Capitão Guimarães.”
Authorities allege that Pereira oversaw betting collection points in the cities of Vitória and Vila Velha, in the state of Espírito Santo, and arranged transfers of cash proceeds to the organization’s security chief, Alzino Carvalho de Souza.
Investigators say money collected from illegal betting activities was transported from Espírito Santo to Rio de Janeiro several times per month, sometimes by bus.
In one case intercepted by police, officers seized approximately BR129,000 ($24,581) from a courier who reportedly said the funds were destined for Guimarães.
The investigation is part of an operation targeting illegal gambling networks allegedly linked to Guimarães, who authorities say controls betting activities and slot machine operations in several areas of Rio de Janeiro state.
Pereira’s defense has denied the allegations, arguing that his name emerged in the investigation due to his professional role as a lawyer representing Guimarães.
The defense also notes that a previous criminal complaint filed by prosecutors was dismissed by the courts after the evidence supporting the charges was deemed invalid, a decision later upheld by the judiciary.
According to recent estimates, Brazil has identified around 2,316 illegal online gambling operators
