Maiky França, a fugitive since late last year, is accused of fatally shooting businessman Alisson Wagner Nascimento in Franca, SP, during an altercation in 2023. In an unusual defense strategy, he employs an avatar created with artificial intelligence to present his case on social media, claiming that he acted in self-defense. In the video, he describes an incident where three men allegedly surrounded and assaulted him, leading him to respond to what he perceived as a lethal threat against his life.

In his video statement, França asserts that he was merely responding to aggression and insists that his actions were those of a father and a businessman trying to protect himself, emphasizing his status as a first-time offender. He portrays the violence he faced, claiming that he was beaten, sustained an injury to his eye, and that firearms were pointed at him, creating a narrative around his need to defend himself.

The prosecution in Sacramento, MG, is aware of França's video and is currently investigating the accusations against him. His use of an AI-generated avatar for defense is notable in its originality and raises questions about the intersections of technology and legal strategies in the context of criminal allegations, indicative of a shifting landscape in how offenders might seek to present their cases in the digital age.