Federal Police say it was suicide, but do not detail how it happened; Luiz Phillipi Mourão, known as Sicário, was brain dead and was the one who collected information and monitored people at the behest of Daniel Vorcaro
Key witness in the Master case, Luiz Phillipi Machado de Moraes Mourão died this Wednesday (March 4, 2026). He had been by the Federal Police hours earlier during the 3rd phase of Operation Compliance Zero. He was known by the nickname Sicário and worked directly with Daniel Vorcaro, founder of Banco Master. He was in the custody of the corporation at the Regional Superintendence of the Federal Police in Minas Gerais, in Belo Horizonte.
In a note at 4:55 pm and updated at 5:14 pm, the Federal Police reported that Luiz Phillipi had tried to kill himself while in prison. He stated that federal police officers tried to revive him and called Samu (Mobile Emergency Care Service), which took him to Hospital João 23, in the center of BH. The corporation does not say under what circumstances the prisoner was found by agents or what happened in its note.
“The Federal Police communicated the incident to the reporting minister’s office at the Federal Supreme Court and will hand over all the video records that demonstrate the dynamics of what happened. An investigative procedure will be opened to clarify the circumstances of the incident”says the PF. Read the note (PDF – 146 kB).
WHO IS THE SICÁRIO
Luiz Phillipi Mourão was part of the “intimidation nucleus” from Vorcaro’s adversaries and opponents, according to the Federal Police. In the decision that authorized the operation this Wednesday (March 4), Minister André Mendonça, rapporteur of the case at the Supreme Court, cites two conversations between him and the banker that could be interpreted as intimidation:
- threat against journalist – Vorcaro, who works at the newspaper O Globo, and states that “we had to have people following this guy to get everything from him”. Sicário responds: “I’m going to do this”. Afterwards, the banker declares that he wants to “give a break” in the professional;
- threat against employee – in , Vorcaro says he was threatened by a maid and claims that “you have to grind this slut”. Sicário asks what to do. The banker then says: “Address everything”.
Here is what Mendonça says about Luiz Phillipi:
- had a direct relationship with Vorcaro;
- received R$ 1 million per month for your “illicit services” –the amount was paid through Fabiano Zaettel, also arrested in the operation this Wednesday (4th March);
- was responsible for obtaining confidential information, monitoring people and “neutralization of situations considered sensitive to the interests of the investigated group”;
- there are indications that he accessed and collected data from restricted systems of public bodies;
- He was the one who coordinated the group known as “A Turma”, responsible for intimidating people.
Read the of the Mendonça decision (PDF – 384 kB).
The following were also preventively arrested:
- Daniel Vorcaro, appointed as leader of the criminal organization;
- Fabiano Zettelinvestigated for making payments and guiding an intimidation center;
- Marilson Roseno da Silvaretired federal police officer investigated for participating in a group monitoring Vorcaro’s opponents.
