Businessman Antônio Carlos Camilo Antunes, known as the “Bald of the INSS”, the Federal Police said they identified suspicions that the businessman was “threatening” witnesses, hiding heritage in the parking lot of a mall in Brasilia and preparing an escape route for the United States. Antunes is investigated on suspicion of being one of the main operators of a retirement deviation scheme through associations. The detention, authorized by Minister André Mendonça of the Supreme Federal Court (STF), took place on Friday and on Saturday was maintained after a custody hearing.
To justify the need for Antunes’ arrest, investigators claim to have identified that the businessman bought a home in the United States and would travel abroad “near” to the outbreak of the Operation without discount, which investigates the INSS fraud. The movement was understood by the PF as a way of “evading from the country, signaling a concrete risk of escape.” Sought, the defense of Antunes said it will only manifest in the file.
The scheme revealed by the operation without discounts identified that unions and associations charged retirees and pensioners irregular discounts in their payments between 2019 and 2024, through fraudulent authorizations. As a result, thousands of people had part of their retirement discounted without their authorization. The investigators estimated that the value of the loss could reach more than $ 6 billion. The case led to the resignation of Carlos Lupi from the Ministry of Social Security and the removal of the now former president of the INSS, Alessandro Stefanutto.
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With the favorable opinion of the Attorney General’s Office, Mendonça complied with the PF’s request and decreed the arrest of the “Bald of the INSS”, as well as ordering search and seizure warrants against him. The decision is dated September 11, 2025, but was only fulfilled on Friday.
Investigators suspect that the targets were in advance knowledge of the first phase of the operation without discount, triggered in April this year. One of the evidence is that three luxury vehicles-a Ferrari F8 Spider and two Mercedes-Benz-were taken to the parking lot of a mall in Brasilia the day before the searches. The PF saw this as a possible leakage of privileged information and a way to hide equity that would be seized by the authorities.
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Another indication pointed out by the investigators was the fact that Antunes left the country five days before the operation of the operation in April and returned three days after PF teams meet searches and seizures at their addresses.
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Researchers also point out that Antunes has “political influence”, which would allow him to act to try to embarrass investigations. “Antonio Camilo has a great intimidating capacity, in view of his network of contacts, his political influence, his financial capacity, his fearless way of acting, believing in impunity, his proximity to the other investigated and witnesses.”
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In addition to these evidence, the PF cites the testimony of a witness heard in Sao Paulo who declared that he received “death threats” from Antunes. “This deponent would also have stated that Antonio Camilo, shortly after the Federal Police operation, began to dilapidate his assets to capitalize, and that he said he needed to raise money, close the taps, dismiss employees and go to the United States,” the report delivered to Mendonça.
The same witness also said, according to PF, that Antunes washed money with luxury cars and “would be undone from such vehicles at prices below the market.”
