Chaules Volban Pozzebon

Chaules Volban Pozzebon (born 1982, Capanema) is a Brazilian entrepreneur and criminal. As the leader of a criminal organization involved in illegal logging and extortion, Pozzebon was identified as the owner of 120 sawmills throughout the Northern region of the country, earning him the nickname 'the largest deforester in Brazil'.[1] He was arrested during the Deforest Operation conducted by the Federal Police, which resulted in his sentence of 99 years in prison.[2]

Life

Chaules was born in Capanema, in Paraná, in 1982. He moved to Ariquemes, in Rondônia, in the early 2000s, and soon entered the lumber industry.[1] He owned several companies in his name, some in partnership with family members, including his mother Maria Salete Pozzebon and his son Igor José Teixeira Pozzebon, while others were maintained by Chaules through 'laranjas' (straw men), such as Djyeison de Oliveira, José Socorro Melo de Castro, and Marcelo Campos Berg, all entrepreneurs who had their own legal issues.[1]

Criminal activities

Pozzebon was arrested on charges of leading a criminal organization that invaded lands for illegal logging, as well as engaging in extortion schemes targeting settlers and collecting 'tolls' at passages in the region. Along with him, 15 other members of the group were arrested, 11 of whom were military police officers.[3] The accusations against the organization began in Vale do Jamari, where residents complained about an extortion scheme maintained by gunmen, police officers, and businessmen.[3][4]

The group installed gates at passages in the region where they charged fees that could reach thousands of reais, depending on the type of vehicle, such as trucks and tractors. They also exerted control over a settlement in the region known as 'Soldado da Borracha', where they collected money from settled families awaiting land regularization through agrarian reform, and engaged in acts of intimidation and persecution to seize certain areas.[5] Pozzebon's organization was preparing to permanently expel the families and sell the land in plots to farmers and loggers in the region.[1]

Other accusations

Pozzebon is accused of other types of crimes, such as using slave labor on his Pedra Preta farm in Cujubim.[1]

Businesses with meatpacking companies

JBS S.A.
Main article: JBS S.A.

Between 2018 and 2022, the meatpacking company JBS S.A. purchased 8,785 head of cattle from three farms owned by Pozzebon, without the company's alleged monitoring system indicating the problematic nature of the transactions. The company acknowledged the purchases and stated that it was the result of an internal scheme by employees to favor Chaules' farms.[6]

Minerva

Minerva Foods also conducted business with Pozzebon's farms during 2021, acquiring 672 head of cattle from farms linked to illegal deforestation.[6]

References
  1. "O "maior desmatador do Brasil" possui 120 madeireiras na região Norte". apublica (in Brazilian Portuguese). November 22, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  2. "Chaules Pozzebon, madeireiro apontado como o maior desmatador do Brasil é condenado a quase 100 anos de prisão". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). June 21, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  3. "Preso, "maior desmatador do Brasil" tem 120 madeireiras no Norte, diz MP". Uol (in Brazilian Portuguese). November 25, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  4. "PF prende homem suspeito de ser um dos maiores desmatadores do Brasil durante ação, em RO". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). October 23, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  5. ""Maior desmatador do Brasil", Chaules Pozzebon é condenado a mais de 99 anos de prisao". CPT (in Brazilian Portuguese). June 22, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  6. "JBS admite ter comprado quase 9 mil bois ilegais do 'maior desmatador do país'". Reporter Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
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