Influencers “Lucas Picolé” and “Mano Queixo” have been sentenced by the Amazonas Justice to three years and four months in prison for drug trafficking. However, Enzo Felipe da Silva Oliveira, also known as “Mano Queixo,” was acquitted of the charges. The influencers, who were suspected of fraud in raffle sales in Manaus, were granted their freedom on Tuesday (19).
“Lucas Picolé” and “Mano Queixo” were indicted by the Amazonas Civil Police (PC-AM) for drug trafficking, association for drug trafficking, irregular possession of restricted ammunition, and alteration of the identifier of a motor vehicle, among other 11 crimes.
The two were released from the Masculine Provisional Detention Center (CDPM) at 5:30 p.m., according to their defense, who announced a press conference for Wednesday (20) to address the release of the influencers.
The sentence that convicts “Lucas Picolé” was signed by Judge Jean Carlos Pimentel dos Santos on Monday (18). The judge imposed a sentence of three years and four months of imprisonment and 333 fines, with each fine set at the equivalent of 30% of the minimum wage, for the crime.
The sentence states that “Lucas Picolé” must initially serve his sentence in an open regime, as determined by the Amazonas Justice. The judge decided to absolve “Mano Queixo,” who had also been arrested for the crime.
Operation Dracma
In August of this year, the PC-AM concluded the Police Inquiry (IP) that investigated the illegal sale of raffles and indicted eight people for 11 different crimes. This procedure led to the implementation of Operation Dracma, divided into two phases and carried out on June 29 and July 5.
According to Chief Inspector Cícero Túlio, who was in charge of the investigation, more than one ton of counterfeit clothing products were seized during the police operations, and ten vehicles, including an altered motorcycle, were also seized. During the execution of the search warrants, 175 units of synthetic drugs (LSD) were found, as well as rifle ammunition.
The investigations concluded that “Lucas Picolé” and “Mano Queixo” were also involved in the trade of firearms and ammunition, in addition to being connected to synthetic drug trafficking.
Fraud in online raffle sales
The influencers are being investigated for suspected fraud in the sale of raffles online in Manaus. They were arrested during Operation Dracma, which also led to the arrest of Isabelly Aurora. The influencer was released from prison in October of this year.
At the time, the state court invalidated the house arrest of Isabelly Aurora Simplício Souza, also known as Isabelly Aurora, and the pretrial detention of Lucas Picolé.
Isabelly Aurora and her ex-husband Paulo Victor Monteiro Bastos, 25, as well as João Lucas da Silva Alves, 24, known as “Lucas Picolé,” were arrested in June during the second phase of Operation Dracma, conducted by the Amazonas Civil Police, which investigates fraud in the sale of raffles online.
“Lucas Picolé” had already been arrested alongside “Mano Queixo” in the first phase of the operation. The police were also investigating former municipal employee Flávia Ketlen Matos da Silva, who was involved in the investigation into the clandestine online raffle scheme.
