Chaules Volban Pozzebon (born 1982, Capanema) is a Brazilian entrepreneur and leader of a criminal organization involved in

illegal logging Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase, or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission, or from a p ...

and extortion, Pozzebon was identified as the owner of 120 sawmills throughout the Northern region of the country, earning him the nickname 'the largest deforester in Brazil'. He was arrested during the ''Deforest Operation'' conducted by the

Federal Police A law enforcement agency (LEA) is any government agency responsible for law enforcement within a specific jurisdiction through the employment and deployment of law enforcement officers and their resources. The most common type of law enforcement ...

, which resulted in his sentence of 99 years in prison.

Life

Chaules was born in Capanema, in

Paraná Paraná, Paranã or Parana may refer to: Geology * Paraná Basin, a sedimentary basin in South America Places In Argentina *Paraná, Entre Ríos, a city * Paraná Department, a part of Entre Ríos Province In Brazil *Paraná (state), a state ...

, in 1982. He moved to

Ariquemes Ariquemes is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality located in the States of Brazil, Brazilian state of Rondônia. Its population was 109,523 (2020 est.) and its area is 4,427 km2. - Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, IBGE It i ...

, in

Rondônia Rondônia () is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the northern subdivision of the country (central-western part). It is bordered by Acre (state), Acre in the west, Amazonas, Brazil, Amazonas in the north, Mato Grosso in the east, and Bo ...

, in the early 2000s, and soon entered the lumber industry. He owned several companies in his name, some in partnership with family members, including his mother Maria Salete Pozzebon and his son Igor José Teixeira Pozzebon, while others were maintained by Chaules through ' laranjas' (straw men), such as Djyeison de Oliveira, José Socorro Melo de Castro, and Marcelo Campos Berg, all entrepreneurs who had their own legal issues.

Criminal activities

Pozzebon was arrested on charges of leading a criminal organization that invaded lands for illegal logging, as well as engaging in extortion schemes targeting settlers and collecting 'tolls' at passages in the region. Along with him, 15 other members of the group were arrested, 11 of whom were military police officers. The accusations against the organization began in Vale do Jamari, where residents complained about an extortion scheme maintained by gunmen, police officers, and businessmen. The group installed gates at passages in the region where they charged fees that could reach thousands of reais, depending on the type of vehicle, such as trucks and tractors. They also exerted control over a settlement in the region known as 'Soldado da Borracha', where they collected money from settled families awaiting land regularization through agrarian reform, and engaged in acts of intimidation and persecution to seize certain areas. Pozzebon's organization was preparing to permanently expel the families and sell the land in plots to farmers and loggers in the region.

Other accusations

Pozzebon is accused of other types of crimes, such as using

slave labor Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

on his Pedra Preta farm in Cujubim.

Businesses with meatpacking companies

JBS S.A.

Between 2018 and 2022, the meatpacking company

JBS S.A. JBS S.A. is a Brazilian multinational company that is the largest meat processing enterprise in the world, producing factory processed beef, chicken, salmon, sheep, pork, and also selling by-products from the processing of these meats. It is he ...

purchased 8,785 head of cattle from three farms owned by Pozzebon, without the company's alleged monitoring system indicating the problematic nature of the transactions. The company acknowledged the purchases and stated that it was the result of an internal scheme by employees to favor Chaules' farms.

Minerva

Minerva Foods also conducted business with Pozzebon's farms during 2021, acquiring 672 head of cattle from farms linked to illegal deforestation.

References

{{Authority control Brazilian criminals Environmental crimes in Brazil 1982 births Living people