Escritório do Crime was one of the largest and most powerful militias in Brazil's second largest city, Rio de Janeiro.
In recent years, the group gained notoriety through a series of high-profile sponsored assassinations, including the murder of city councilor Marielle Franco in August 2018. After the capture and death of its founding leaders, it ceased operations and opened space for other militias who continue to expand their influence in Rio.
The members of the Escritório do Crime (Crime Bureau) were largely composed of ex-police officers and former police officers working primarily as hitmen. Yet their criminal portfolio included drug trafficking, extortion and other organized crime activities.
History
Escritório do Crime was created in the mid-2000s by a former special operations police captain named Adriano Magalhães da Nóbrega, aka “Capitão Adriano.” The group's main criminal activity was contract execution, and its main clients were corporate bosses. I do bichoan illegal game of chance linked to the origins of organized crime in Rio de Janeiro.
Nóbrega participated in at least eight contract killings between 2006 and 2009, according to police. He would have received orders from José Luiz de Barros Lopes, alias “Zé Personal”. the son-in-law of I do bicho boss Waldemir Paes Garcia, alias “Maninho”. Nóbrega also worked as a security guard for Maninho's family.
Between 2009 and 2016three of the group's main members – Nóbrega, João André Martins Ferreira and Antônio Eugênio de Souza Freitas, alias “Batoré” – allegedly committed another series of contract killings. In March 2016, Martins was killed while leaving a bakery in Rio's northern zone. Nóbrega himself is suspected to commit the crime
The militia made headlines in August 2018 when it was linked to the murder of Marielle Franco and his driver, Anderson Gomes. Franco was a city councilor who had openly criticized police brutality in Rio de Janeiro's marginalized favelas.
In March 2019, two former police officers with ties to Escritório do Crime were arrested in connection with Franco's murder. Ronnie Lessaa former police sergeant and expert sniper, was later convicted of shooting Franco, while Élcio de Queiroz, a former military police officer, acted as Lessa's driver.
The same day Lessa was arrested, a police raid uncovered 117 M-16 assault rifles in a house in Rio linked to him. Investigators said Lessa was a hitman and arms dealer for the militia who was forced to retire from policing after being seriously injured in a car bombing.
Increased surveillance of the group after Franco's assassination revealed its alleged ties to high-ranking politicians. Lessa lived in the same luxury condominium building where then-President Jair Bolsonaro owned an apartment. Additionally, in January 2019, it emerged that Flávio Bolsonaro, the president's eldest son, had employed the wife and mother of the militia's founder, Nóbrega. Nóbrega also allegedly participated in a salary kickback systemknown as “rachadinha”, involving Flávio Bolsonaro.
The group began to fall apart as political pressure increased for results in the investigation into Franco's murder. An operation, called “The Untouchables” (Os Intocáveis)was carried out in January 2019 to arrest key members of the militia operating in the Rio das Pedras favela. Among the five people arrested was the military police officer Ronaldo Paulo Alves Pereirawho allegedly participated in the assassination.
In February 2020, Nóbrega was killed during a shootout with police in the northeastern state of Bahia as he tried to arrest him.
The same year, two other members of the group, Leandro Gouvêa da Silva, alias “Tonhão”, and Leonardo Gouvêa da Silva, alias “Mad”, were arrested and later convicted for the murder of Marcelo Diotti, a former rival of Nóbrega.
In August 2021, amid a widespread crackdown on militia operations in Rio de Janeiro, police arrested Edmilson Gomes Menezes, aka “Macaquinho”. He was said to have been the boss of Escritorio do Crime in much of the north and west of the city and was said to have been related to the murder of Marielle Franco.
With all its leaders and founding members arrested or dead, Escritório do Crime arrested in operation in the early 2020s.
Criminal activities
Escritório do Crime exercised a high level of criminal governance over the Rio das Pedras favela by providing essential services and engaging in extortion and murder-for-hire operations. According to the police investigation, the militia charged up to 1.5 million reais ($300,000) per victim.
The criminal group also had a monopoly on illegal gas sales, internet access, transportation, mining and even oil theft. The extortion money is then used to finance illegal real estate in Rio de Janeiro.
In April 2019, two residential buildings collapsed in the community of Muzema in Rio de Janeiro, killing at least four people. A police operation revealed that the buildings had been illegally built. Further investigation revealed that Escritório do Crime had financed the construction of a number of these buildings, selling illegal apartments for thousands of dollars.
Direction
Adriano Magalhães da Nóbrega, alias “Capitão Adriano”, was the alleged leader of Escritório do Crime until his election. death in February 2020.
Then, Leonardo Gouvêa da Silva, alias “Mad”, took over the leadership of the group until his arrest in June 2020 in an operation with his brother Leandro Gouvêa da Silva, alias “Tonhão”.
Geography
The Escritório do Crime group's base of operations was the Favela of Rio das Pedras in the western area of Rio.
Allies and enemies
Escritório do Crime had close ties with public officials and security forces, allowing them to operate with impunity. Militia Allegations link to the Bolsonaro family also demonstrates that they had consolidated their political ties.
The group has also attempted to infiltrate political circles for other criminal purposes. In 2016, for example, two members of the organization joined the political party where Marielle Franco operated, with the alleged aim of monitoring the advisor before her assassination.
Outlook
After the Escritório do Crime was shut down, other militias continued to expand their influence in Rio de Janeiro. In May 2025, Rio de Janeiro police conducted a operation against a militia known as the “New Escritório do Crime” based on allegations of contract killings and arms trafficking, but authorities have revealed few details about the group.
