Brazilian police officers keep pay after convictions and fugitive status

In Rio de Janeiro, eight officers of the Polícia Militar convicted of crimes such as torture, homicide and robbery have remained in the force thanks to legal appeals that caused administrative proceedings to lapse. Six of them are still active, five have been promoted, and notable cases include Major Edson Santos and Lieutenant Luiz Felipe de Medeiros, whose expulsion order was nullified after a series of appeals.

In the Federal District, former colonel Francisco Eronildo Feitosa Rodrigues, sentenced to 54 years for bribery, continued to receive public salaries while on the run. Transparency data show he collected roughly R$ 847,900 in net pay over three years, with monthly net earnings of R$ 20‑25 thousand plus bonuses such as 13th‑salary and vacation payments. The case underscores systemic issues in Brazil’s police payroll and accountability mechanisms.