A glamorous lawyer with 21 million Instagram followers has been accused of plotting to move assets to Dubai as part of a suspected money-laundering scheme linked to one of Brazil's most powerful criminal gangs.
The case about influencer Deolane Bezerra was brought in Presidente Venceslau, a city in western Sao Paulo state near the border with Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. A court decision made her a defendant in the case on June 16.
The court accepted charges filed by prosecutors against social media influencer and lawyer Bezerra, along with alleged members of the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), one of Brazil's most powerful criminal organisations.
According to the court decision, investigators uncovered a plan to restructure companies linked to the group and transfer assets to investment funds in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The ruling stated that the destination was chosen because it is allegedly associated with the use of shell companies that can facilitate the international laundering of assets.
Financial intelligence reports cited in the decision alleged that Bezerra moved approximately BRL 27 million (GBP 3,952,800) through her bank accounts. Investigators claimed the transactions displayed characteristics commonly associated with money laundering, including the fragmentation of deposits, the use of intermediaries and inconsistencies in tax declarations.
Prosecutors alleged that the influencer received transfers from a haulage company based in Presidente Venceslau that was controlled by the PCC. The investigation identified Everton de Sousa, known by the nicknames Player and Temer, as the alleged coordinator of the transfers.
Authorities said he acted as a financial operator for Alejandro Herbas Camacho Junior, the brother of imprisoned PCC leader Marcos Willians Herbas Camacho, known as Marcola. Investigators also cited audio messages allegedly sent by Deolane to a domestic worker.
According to prosecutors, the recordings suggested that part of the money attributed to the PCC had been stored at properties linked to the influencer and her children. The court ordered the seizure of several high-value assets linked to the investigation.
Among the vehicles listed were a Lamborghini Huracan, a Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 and a Cadillac Escalade. Bezerra has been held in pre-trial detention since 21st May in Tupi Paulista, a municipality in the interior of Sao Paulo state. Previously, it was reported that Bezerra's bank account alone handled around BRL 5.3 million (GBP 778,040) in just over a month last year.
During that time, she reportedly received BRL 430,000 (GBP 63,124) from a music production company, sent BRL 1.16 million (GBP 170,288) to a foundation linked to football star Neymar, and paid over BRL 1.1 million (GBP 161,480) to a luxury car business. Authorities allege these transactions had no clear business reason and believe her account may have been used to quickly move money and hide its origin.
The investigation began after prison officers intercepted handwritten notes inside a prison in Presidente Venceslau in 2019. Authorities later seized the mobile phone of alleged gang operator Ciro Cesar Lemos during a separate operation in 2021, with investigators claiming the device contained images and records of deposits into accounts linked to Bezerra and De Sousa.
Before being transferred to the Santana Women's Penitentiary in Sao Paulo, Deolane told reporters: Justice will be done. The acceptance of the charges does not amount to a conviction and marks the beginning of criminal proceedings.
Lawyers Aury Lopes Junior, Josimary Rocha de Vilhena, Luiz Ricardo Rodrigues Imparato and Rogerio Nunes said in a joint statement that they would use all available evidence to challenge the allegations. Her legal team also stated that she has no links to organised crime and that her income comes from lawful and properly declared sources.
