Gleison Luís Menegildo, a businessman imprisoned in August 2025 in São José do Rio Preto, SP, has been convicted to one year of detention and six years of confinement for illegal possession of firearms. His case stems from his alleged involvement in the murder of 16-year-old Giovana Pereira Caetano de Almeida, whose body was discovered buried on August 28, 2024, in Nova Granada, SP. The prosecution has charged him with multiple offenses including triple qualified homicide, concealment of a corpse, sexual harassment, drug trafficking, and providing alcohol to a minor.

Menegildo was initially arrested temporarily on August 15, 2025, along with an employee and the caretaker of the rural property where the teenager’s body was found. The police had requested preventive detention for the trio, which was granted by the court, showing the serious nature of the charges against them. Although he faces a heavy indictment regarding the teenager’s death, he has yet to be tried for those specific allegations.

This case has raised significant public concern in Brazil due to the severity of the charges and the involvement of a businessman, shining a light on crime and accountability in the region. The conviction for illegal weapons possession, while significant, is seen as just a piece of a larger, more horrific narrative that involves multiple serious crimes, and the community continues to watch for further developments in the judicial proceedings against Menegildo.