He was inside the prison. He knew the names.
Entrepreneur 'Gordão' allegedly paid R$2,500 believing it would facilitate phone smuggling, then discovered he'd been scammed by an inmate impersonating prison staff. The inmate also demanded R$30,000 per detainee for prison transfers, citing high-ranking security officials to gain credibility with victims.
- Willian 'Gordão' Aparecido da Costa Pereira charged in cellphone smuggling scheme at Penitenciária Central do Estado, Cuiabá
- Claims he paid R$2,500 to inmate 'Playboy' posing as guard, then was asked for R$30,000 per detainee for prison transfers
- Trial scheduled July 21, 2026; judge ordered police to release digital evidence within 10 days
- Previously targeted by Federal Police Operation Ragnatela investigating Comando Vermelho money laundering
A businessman accused of bribing a prison guard to smuggle phones into a Cuiabá penitentiary claims he was actually defrauded by an inmate posing as an officer. The case proceeds to trial in July 2026.
Willian Aparecido da Costa Pereira, known around Cuiabá as Gordão, will face trial on July 21, 2026, over his alleged role in a scheme to smuggle cellphones into the Penitenciária Central do Estado. The case has drawn attention partly because of his history—he was previously targeted by the Federal Police's Operation Ragnatela, which investigated money laundering connected to the Comando Vermelho criminal organization. Now he stands accused alongside Luiz Otavio Natalino, a prison guard, in what prosecutors say was a straightforward corruption arrangement.
The state prosecutor's office has charged Natalino with passive corruption and influence trafficking. Gordão faces active corruption charges for allegedly offering improper payments. But Gordão tells a different story. He claims he was the victim of a con, not the perpetrator of one.
According to his account to police, an inmate known as "Playboy" orchestrated the whole thing. The prisoner posed as a corrections officer and extracted money from Gordão under false pretenses. Gordão said he paid out R$2,500 initially, believing the cash would secure passage for two phones into the prison. When nothing materialized, he realized he had been duped. The same inmate then demanded R$30,000 per detainee, claiming he could arrange transfers within the prison system. To make the pitch credible, Playboy dropped names—Winkler de Freitas Teles, who was then director of the penitentiary, and Alexandre Bustamante, a former security secretary. Gordão said he grew suspicious and refused to pay the second sum.
Gordão's legal team moved to dismiss the case, arguing the prosecution's complaint contained procedural flaws and that they lacked access to digital evidence. Judge Jean Garcia de Freitas Bezerra rejected the motion, writing that he found the complaint met legal requirements. But the judge did order police to hand over all seized files and media within ten days—a small victory for the defense, at least in terms of transparency.
The case now hinges on a fundamental question: was Gordão a corrupt businessman trying to move contraband into a prison, or was he simply a man who fell for a con run by someone with access to the system and knowledge of how to exploit it? The trial in July will test which version the evidence supports.
Citas Notables
The inmate cited names of high-ranking security officials, including then-PCE director Winkler de Freitas Teles and former secretary Alexandre Bustamante, to convince victims of his credibility— Gordão's account to police
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why would an inmate have the credibility to pull off a scheme like this in the first place?
Because he had access. He was inside the prison. He knew the names of people who actually held power there. When you're trying to convince someone to hand over money for something illegal, you need to sound like you know the system from the inside.
But Gordão claims he got suspicious and stopped paying. So the con didn't fully work?
It worked enough. He lost R$2,500 before he caught on. And the fact that he's now on trial suggests the authorities didn't quite believe his version—or they believed both things happened: he was scammed, but he was also trying to do the illegal thing in the first place.
What does the judge's decision to release the digital evidence tell us?
It suggests the judge wasn't entirely convinced by the prosecution's case either. If the evidence was airtight, there would be no need to order police to hand everything over. The judge is saying: let's see what you actually have.
Is Gordão's criminal history working against him here?
Almost certainly. Operation Ragnatela put him in the orbit of organized crime. When you have that kind of record, a story about being defrauded sounds less innocent. A judge hears it differently than if it came from someone with a clean background.
So what happens in July?
The evidence gets tested. If the digital files show Gordão initiating contact about phones, or if there's communication between him and the guard, he's in trouble. If it's all one-sided—just the inmate's word—his fraud defense becomes more plausible.