Anic case involved ransom demand in Bitcoin
The disappearance and murder of lawyer Anic de Almeida Peixoto Herdy, 55, shocked the city of Petrópolis and exposed a criminal scheme involving kidnapping, ransom in Bitcoin and a network of accomplices, as reported by O GLOBO.
The crime, which occurred in February 2024, culminated in the arrest of four people, including Lourival Correa Netto Fatiga, a computer technician and friend of the victim's family. He confessed to having killed and concreted the lawyer's body in the garage of his home.
On February 29, 2024, they last saw Anic when he parked his car in a shopping mall in Petrópolis, leaving the place on foot. More than seven hours later, her husband, Benjamim Cordeiro Herdy, 78, received a message informing him of his wife's kidnapping.
From that moment on, the kidnapper began a series of contacts asking for ransoms, including requesting part of the amount in Bitcoin. The choice for cryptocurrency was due to the involvement of Lourival, who supposedly had knowledge about the use of these digital currencies.
Failed Bitcoin rescue attempt
On March 11, Anic's family made a payment of R$4.6 million as part of the ransom. They made the payment through deposits into accounts of importing companies and through the purchase of 950 cell phones.
The plan called for Lourival and Benjamim to deliver the money to a shopping mall. However, on the way, the kidnapper changed his instructions, ordering them to leave the money in a trash basket at Recreio dos Bandeirantes, in Rio de Janeiro. Despite the payment, he never released Anic.
Confession and discovery of the body
After months of investigation, Lourival, who denied involvement in the crime, confessed to the lawyer's murder. In testimony at the 2nd Criminal Court of Petrópolis, he admitted to having killed Anic and burying the body in his garage, in Teresópolis. The body was found last Wednesday, September 25th, concreted under a cement footing that supported a wall of Lourival's house.
In addition to Lourival, his children, Henrique Vieira Fadiga and Maria Luísa Fadiga, are suspected of participating in the crime. Henrique would have received US$150,000 from a money changer. Meanwhile, Maria Luísa would have helped her father register a pickup truck purchased with the ransom money. An ex-girlfriend of Lourival, Rebeca Azevedo Santos, is also being investigated for having participated in the purchase of cell phones with the money from the kidnapping.
The crime shook the community of Teresópolis and Petrópolis, revealing the dark side of negotiations involving Bitcoin and the use of technology to cover up crimes. The investigations continue. The expectation is that new details will be released about the involvement of the other suspects.