Ex-Police Brothers Convicted for Murder of Bookmaker Fernando Iggnácio

Two brothers, former police officers Pedro Emanuel D'onofre Andrade and Otto Samuel D'onofre Andrade, have been convicted of the triple-qualified homicide of bookmaker Fernando Iggnácio. Pedro received a sentence of 32 years, 9 months, and 18 days, while Otto was sentenced to 31 years, 5 months, and 6 days. The crime occurred in 2020, and the prosecution presented evidence suggesting meticulous planning and professional execution. Prosecutors highlighted that at least four individuals involved in the crime had previously served as military police officers, suggesting a "nefarious aspect" of law enforcement agents being co-opted by organized crime. The victim, Fernando Iggnácio, was identified as a "capo" in Rio de Janeiro's illegal lottery (jogo do bicho), and his murder was linked to a dispute over the inheritance of another bookmaker, Castor de Andrade, with Rogério Andrade identified as the alleged mastermind in a separate case. Evidence presented included testimony that Pedro D'onofre Andrade conducted a helicopter reconnaissance flight of the victim's location three days before the murder, using the same flight path Iggnácio took. Digital evidence from Pedro's cloud storage reportedly contained images of the flight and of uniforms used in the crime dating back to January 2020, suggesting preparatory actions began early that year. The defense argued that the evidence was insufficient and characterized the prosecution's case as a "patchwork," also questioning the homicide division's investigation and requesting a declaration of insanity for Pedro D'onofre Cordeiro. The trial was initially intended to include another ex-police officer, Rodrigo Silva das Neves, who has already been convicted for his involvement in the murder.