Glaidson Acácio dos Santos, known as the “Pharaoh of Bitcoin” and identified as the leader of the financial pyramid GAS Consultoria, was transferred back to the prison system of Rio de Janeiro after serving nearly two years in the Federal Penitentiary of Catanduvas, in Paraná. According to the defense, the change is definitive.

There was an impasse between judicial decisions from different instances regarding where he should remain — in Bangu I, in Rio, or in Catanduvas. However, lawyer Thiago de Souza Cardoso Lemos stated to the newspaper O Globo that Glaidson's exclusion from the federal system has already occurred, which makes a return impossible without new facts to justify it.

The return is related to the decision of the 3rd Federal Criminal Court of Rio, which determined his physical presence in hearings scheduled for October 7, 8, and 9. Although the 1st Specialized Criminal Court for Organized Crime of the TJRJ defended his stay in Catanduvas, the first decision prevailed.

While in federal prisons, inmates can participate in hearings virtually, in the state system — like in Bangu I — the return is usually permanent. Thus, unless a new reassessment occurs, the 'Pharaoh of Bitcoin' will remain imprisoned in Rio.

In the decision that ultimately did not go through, the judge of the TJRJ justified the permanence in Catanduvas claiming that Glaidson would still pose a risk to public safety in the State, since, according to the accusation, he would use external contacts to guide accomplices and keep the scheme of frauds with cryptocurrencies operational.

'Serious error'

To the newspaper A Tribuna, lawyer Luciano Régis, assistant to the prosecution in the case investigating the death of trader Wesley Pessano, harshly criticized the decision to take Glaidson to Rio: 'The penitentiary system of Rio is a mess. We have seen Glaidson receive privileges in state prisons, such as visits outside the list and even prohibited food. He had a list with more than 15 names marked for death.'

'The only way to guarantee security is to keep him in federal prison, as already decided by the State Justice until 2027. The federal decision, by imposing an in-person hearing and contradicting all technical and judicial recommendations, was a serious error,' said Régis.

The decision cited by the lawyer is from 2024, when a request from the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro (MPRJ) was accepted, arguing that the end of Glaidson's stay in the federal penitentiary system should only occur on January 25, 2027.

According to the MPRJ, he would have maintained leadership of a criminal organization aimed not only at financial frauds, but also at corruption of public agents and even homicides of competitors in the cryptocurrency market.

In July, the defense of the 'Pharaoh' requested that he be sent to RJ, but the judge denied it citing that they would be trying to disrupt the progress of the process. Additionally, there are various recommendations from different agencies for Glaidson to remain in Catanduvas, in a federal prison, due to the risks he poses to the system.

In a statement sent to various media outlets, Seap confirmed Glaidson Acácio dos Santos' return to Rio: 'The State Secretariat for Penitentiary Administration (Seap) informs that Glaidson Acácio dos Santos returned to the Prison System of the State of Rio de Janeiro by determination of the Federal Court, in order to participate, in person, in hearings scheduled for October 7, 8, and 9. He is imprisoned in the Laércio da Costa Pelegrino Penitentiary (Bangu 1).'

The story of the 'Pharaoh of Bitcoin'

GAS Consultoria, Glaidson's company, attracted clients with promises of returns that supposedly came from cryptocurrency trading. Later, its pyramid scheme operation model triggered a series of investigations by Brazilian authorities. The investigations speak of a movement of R$ 38 billion through the scheme over the years.

Glaidson, who became known as 'Pharaoh of Bitcoin', was arrested on the morning of August 25, 2021, in Operation Kryptos. At the time, other members of the scheme were arrested, while some managed to escape from the police and flee Brazil, such as Glaidson's wife, Mirelis Yoseline Dias Zerpa, who ended up being arrested in January 2024 in Chicago (USA) for living illegally in the country. In June of this year, Mirelis was deported to Brazil by the United States.

At the time of Glaidson's arrest and other suspects, agents from the Federal Police and Federal Revenue seized 591 bitcoins, dozens of luxury cars, and over R$ 13 million in cash.

Several people close to the couple confirm that the division of tasks within GAS was clear: Glaidson dealt with the people and Mirelis with the money.

In 2023, GAS Consultoria was part of an extensive list of companies summoned in the CPI of the Pyramids, which also summoned the Pharaoh of Bitcoin. In his testimony, the former waiter starred in a series of heated exchanges with some deputies and was even called by a parliamentarian 'one of the greatest criminals in the history of the national financial system.'

In addition to stealing money from thousands of Brazilian investors through GAS's pyramid scheme, the Pharaoh of Bitcoin is also accused of being the leader of an organization that monitored and assassinated rivals in the cryptocurrency market, as shown by audios obtained by the authorities.