Senator Weverton Rocha's family and lawyer targeted in PF's Operation Sem Desconto
The Federal Police carried out 18 search and seizure warrants in the Federal District and Maranhão, authorized by Supreme Court minister André Mendonça. The operations focused on members of Senator Weverton Rocha’s family – his wife Samya Rocha, daughter Anna Catarina, and two sisters – and on lawyer Willer Tomaz. The police say the warrants aim to investigate alleged money‑laundering and fraud linked to illegal discounts on benefits from the National Institute of Social Security (INSS). Investigators have identified financial movements through individuals, companies, third‑party accounts and cash, suggesting a scheme that may have diverted billions of reais from retirees and pensioners. Senator Rocha, the Senate’s vice‑leader and an ally of President Lula, is accused of coordinating demands, payments and asset handling within the scheme. Willer Tomaz denies being investigated, stating the search was due only to his ownership of an aircraft used by the senator. The phase is part of the broader Operation Sem Desconto, which continues to probe the INSS discount fraud that began in 2019.
Entities: André Mendonça · Caixa Econômica Federal · Federal Police of Brazil · Instituto Nacional do Seguro Social (INSS) · Isabely Alves de Sousa · Jackson Cozendey · Jader Henrique Areas de Almeida · Matheus Casado Natário · Operation Sem Desconto · Supreme Court Justice André Mendonça · Weverton Rocha · Willer Tomaz
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The ring used an offshore company in the British Virgin Islands to hide stolen funds. (Police investigation)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Matheus Casado Natário and Isabely Alves de Sousa coordinated the fraud in São Paulo. (Police investigation)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Part of the stolen money was stored in cryptocurrencies. (Police investigation)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Justice Federal employee Jackson Cozendey accessed the confidential decision without functional authority. (Police investigation)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The fraud ring diverted approximately R$45 million from customers of Caixa Econômica Federal. (Police investigation)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Jader Henrique Areas de Almeida was the leader of the group in Rio de Janeiro. (Police investigation)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The group accessed a secret judicial decision authorising a police operation before it was executed. (Police investigation)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Victims included FGTS beneficiaries and emergency‑aid recipients, some left without money for food or medicine. (Police investigation)
- [● 13 SOURCES] The Federal Police executed 18 search and seizure warrants in the Federal District and Maranhão as part of Operation Sem Desconto. (3f07116c-6881-420a-a635-536ca55d524e, dfdd9392-90f6-4b4c-ae16-c30561f2c198, 6a98457e-625a-4500-9ef6-dea4e9eb5976, 94a78f)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Investigators suspect the funds were hidden through cash, third‑party accounts and companies to obscure their origin and destination. (Police investigation)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The targets of the warrants included relatives of Senator Weverton Rocha – his wife, daughter and sisters – and lawyer Willer Tomaz. (Operation Sem Desconto)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Lawyer Willer Tomaz denied being investigated, saying the search related only to his ownership of an aircraft used by the senator. (Willer Tomaz statement)