On Tuesday (11), the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Federal District (MPDFT), through the Special Task Force to Combat Organized Crime (Gaeco), began the second phase of Operation End of the Game. Agents served search and seizure warrants in three cities in the state of São Paulo and in the Federal District. The operation focuses on investigating a scheme to manipulate results in the 2024 Candangão, involving the Santa Maria club and former director William Pereira Rogatto.
According to the MPDFT, Rogatto, known for his activities in sports fraud, recruited players to act in a simulated manner. In this way, he facilitated routs and ensured that the scores coincided with bets on specialized websites.
During the Senate CPI on Game Manipulation and Sports Betting, Rogatto admitted his involvement in similar frauds at several clubs. Consequently, these actions resulted in the relegation of 42 teams in different states.
First phase of the operation
In the first phase of the operation, carried out in February 2024, players Alexandre Batista Damasceno and Nathan Henrique Gama da Silva, defenders of Santa Maria, were targets of search and seizure. According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, in addition, the players acted as key players in ensuring defeats with previously agreed scores.
Two championship games were allegedly rigged:
- Santa Maria 0 x 6 Ceilandia (03/02/2024, Abadião Stadium)
- Santa Maria 0 x 5 Gama (18/02/2024, Bezerrao Stadium)
The investigations resulted in William Rogatto’s arrest and inclusion on Interpol’s wanted list. Police captured him in Dubai in November 2024, and he is awaiting extradition to Brazil.
New phase of investigation into match-fixing
In this new phase, investigations focus on suspects involved in fraud and possible acts of money laundering. Targets include:
- Dayana Nunes Feitosa, president of Santa Maria;
- Amauri Pereira dos Santos, former football manager of the club;
- Selma Pereira Rogatto, mother of William Rogatto;
- Ana Paula de Oliveira, also investigated for links to the scheme.
The operation was supported by the Gaeco of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of São Paulo and the Special Actions Battalion of the Military Police. It was carried out in three cities in São Paulo and in the Federal District, expanding the scope of the investigations.
With the developments of Operation End of the Game, the Public Prosecutor’s Office seeks to improve investigations into the criminal network involved in fraud in Brazilian football and ensure that those involved are held accountable.
