On the morning of this Monday the 24th, the Brazilian Federal Police arrested former firefighter Maxwell Simões at his home, in western Rio de Janeiro, for his involvement in planning the 2018 assassination of councilor Marielle Franco.
Simões was charged by Élcio Queiroz, a former police officer already detained for participating in the crime as the driver of the car from which the shots came. Queiroz said Maxwell was watching over Marielle’s routine, in addition to making the guns and car used in the crime disappear. The other prisoner is Ronnie Lessa, also a former police officer, who is suspected of being the author of the shots that, alongside Marielle, killed the driver Anderson Gomes. Press officer Fernanda Chaves, who was also in the car, suffered minor injuries.
New evidence definitively proved Ronnie Lessa and Élcio Queiroz’s guilt in the crime and prompted Élcio to sign a plea deal with police.
Maxwell Simões Corrêa, known as Suel, was arrested during Operation Élpis, named after the Greek goddess of hope.
Suel had already been sentenced to four years in prison in 2021 for disruptive investigations, but was serving his sentence in an open regime. According to Rio’s prosecutor, the former firefighter owned the car used to hide the guns found in Ronnie Lessa’s apartment. Suel also allegedly helped throw the guns into the sea.
The suspect was arrested at his home in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, west of Rio, and taken to the Federal Police headquarters in the port area. In addition to him, Operation Elpis had six other targets, including Denis Lessa, Ronnie’s brother.
Source: DN
