Vista Gaúcha former treasurer sentenced for embezzlement

A former treasurer for the City Hall of Vista Gaúcha, in the northwest of Rio Grande do Sul, has been sentenced to 7 years, 4 months, and 25 days in prison for embezzlement. The sentence, issued by the Judicial Nucleus 4.0, includes a fine and an initial semi-open prison regime, though the defendant may appeal the decision while remaining free.

According to the Public Ministry, the former employee diverted municipal tax revenues between 2008 and 2015. The scheme involved collecting payments and providing receipts to taxpayers while using municipal computer systems to prevent the funds from being correctly recorded as public revenue. Methods included deleting collection records, manual debt write-offs, and irregular authentications on municipal collection documents.

Audits and administrative inquiries identified an initial loss of R$ 158,738.59, which, when adjusted for inflation, reached R$ 245,379.62. The court noted that the irregularities ceased during periods when the employee was on leave or vacation, reinforcing the conclusion that the fraud required her direct involvement.