O Pastor Osório José Lopes Júnior on the run after an operation by the Civil Police of the Federal District, was arrested in Gurupi, Tocantins, in the early evening of this Thursday (21).
The religious man should be transferred to Brasília on Monday (24), according to investigators.
During Operation False Prophet, on Wednesday morning (20), Osório Junior had an arrest warrant to be served against him, but the police did not find him and he was considered a fugitive.
He was targeted because he was named the leader of a financial scam led by pastors that deceived more than 50,000 victims in Brazil and abroad.
The operation
Eleven pastors were targeted by the Civil Police of the Federal District in the early hours of Wednesday morning (20). The group is being investigated for using the name of former Economy Minister Paulo Guedes to carry out million-dollar scams on churchgoers, as well as on internet lives.
The police point to Goiás pastor Osório José Lopes Júnior as the leader of the group.
He is accused of running a million-dollar scam on believers by selling bonds that, according to him, are backed by gold and presented by him as a World Treasury Bill.
A CNN found that he is the target of search and seizure in São Paulo. But he was not found to be arrested.
The investigation showed, during the scams, that the suspects disseminated fake news to deceive the victims.
The investigation identified the participation of 200 people in the criminal organization. The 11 “heads” were the targets in the second phase of the operation.
The scheme
The evangelical pastor from Goiás Osório José Lopes Júnior, who is visually impaired, states that the titles offered would already have authorization from the federal government, through the former Minister of Economy, Paulo Guedes, to be paid.
In addition to the name of the ministry, Osório also uses the logo of financial entities, such as the World Bank and Banco do Brasil, on an investment platform run by the group, to give credibility to the business.
The scam applied by the pastor has lasted at least nine years. According to the police, he travels around the country with the help of other people to attract new investors interested in receiving up to 100 times the amount contributed as soon as the bonds are ready to be redeemed.
A CNN did not locate the pastor’s defense.
VIDEO – Pastors use Paulo Guedes’ name to carry out scams
Source: CNN Brasil
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