Former Rio Grande Prison Director Sentenced to 85 Years

A former director of the Rio Grande do Sul State Penitentiary (PERG) was sentenced to a total of 85 years and 17 days in prison after being convicted in seven separate cases involving corruption, money laundering, drug trafficking, association with drug traffickers, and the illicit entry of mobile phones and weapons into the prison. The sentencing concludes the two‑phase Operation PERG, a probe conducted by the 10th Regional Nucleus of the Special Action Group for Combating Organized Crime (GAECO) under the Ministry of Public Prosecution of Rio Grande do Sul (MPRS).

The operation resulted in seven convictions with cumulative prison terms of 175 years, two months and 23 days, the loss of three public positions, the seizure of five vehicles and approximately R$1.34 million in assets. The investigation, launched in December 2022, uncovered a criminal network that used the prison’s infrastructure to facilitate drug trafficking, the smuggling of mobile phones and other contraband, and the manipulation of a local gas cylinder trade.

Authorities highlighted that the prison’s internal structure was systematically exploited to further organized‑crime activities, prompting the extensive legal actions that culminated in the recent judgments.