João Ricardo Rangel Mendes is accused of stealing sculptures and paintings from two establishments located in Barra da Tijuca
The court of Rio de Janeiro decided to turn the arrest in the act of businessman João Ricardo Rangel Mendes, 44, in pre -trial detention. Mendes, who is the founder and former executive director of HURB, was arrested after being accused of stealing from a hotel and an architectural office located at. During the custody hearing, the prosecutor argued that the measure was necessary to preserve public order, and the judge agreed with this assessment.
Investigations indicated that Mendes committed theft of a work of art and three sculptures in a hotel. The next day, he would have subtracted two paintings, a tablet and the portfolio of an architectural office owner. The businessman’s criminal history has revealed several notes related to heritage crimes. Although part of the stolen items has been recovered, a painting still remains missing.
HURB, a company founded by Mendes, faces a series of lawsuits due to reversal problems and reserve confirmations. In 2023, the company was the subject of a lawsuit of the Ministry of Justice, which was based on increased complaints about cancellations. To deal with the situation, HURB presented a restructuring plan and became the company with more complaints registered with Procon-SP, resulting in the dismissal of 40% of its employees.
In September 2024, HURB launched a new platform with the objective of facilitating debt negotiation with its customers. However, the company’s founders face serious accusations, becoming defendants in a process by estelionato.
Posted by Felipe Dantas
*Report produced with the aid of AI
