Criminals accessed Caixa accounts, stole R$45 million in social funds with leaked court documents

A Federal Police investigation in Brazil has uncovered a criminal organization that accessed Caixa Econômica Federal bank accounts and siphoned off funds intended for social programs. Victims included beneficiaries of the FGTS severance fund and emergency aid, with total losses reaching at least R$45 million. The group achieved this by obtaining leaked confidential court documents, including the decision authorizing the operation against them. The criminals used offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands and cryptocurrencies to obscure the stolen assets and evade recovery efforts. The investigation identified two main operational hubs: one in São Paulo, led by Matheus Casado Natário and Isabely Alves de Sousa, who managed the fraud and account access, and another in Rio de Janeiro, coordinated by Jader Henrique Areas de Almeida, who directed the group's actions and victim data distribution. Enzo Grillo Filho served as the organization's financial operator, facilitating the movement of illicit funds between the two cities. The breakthrough in the investigation came when police discovered the criminals possessed a court document protected by judicial secrecy, revealing a significant leak from within the justice system. This led to the identification of Jackson Cozendey, a Federal Justice server, as the primary source of the leaked information, allegedly in exchange for payments. Further analysis of internet connection logs suggested that the consultation of the confidential document originated from the law office where Cozendey's wife, Gabrielle Cozendey, works, despite her declared modest income contrasting with significant financial movements. The Federal Police are reportedly seeking new search and seizure warrants to be executed within the Federal Justice system itself to investigate the internal leak further.