The court sets a hearing for a businessman arrested for cinema theft in Niteroi

• Disguise with silicone mask: Remember the cinema robbery in Niteroi that sent businessman Alexander Sciuto to prison
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— Ceotto is a first-time offender and is being investigated for robbery. His feeling at this moment is that of someone suffering great injustice. In addition to asking for a reduced prison sentence, we will prove his innocence throughout the proceedings, defense lawyer Thiago Menagi said.

According to the investigation, on the night of February 7, lawyer Luis Mauricio Gualda arrived at the Orizzonte by Atlântica building, wearing a suit, gloves and a realistic silicone mask. With his head down and the phone pressed to his ear, he entered the building through designated staff areas, broke into an apartment and remained there for approximately 16 minutes. He left carrying a backpack containing about ten luxury watches worth about R$80,000.

Surveillance cameras recorded the entire event. Based on the photos, the police traced the route and identified the vehicle used in the escape. Gualda was eventually located and confessed to the crime and hired Ceotto as a thought mentor.

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According to Gualda’s testimony, the mask used in the robbery was purchased online, on an international platform, for about R$1,800. The accessory is made of soft silicone, with holes in the nose and ears for easier breathing, and planted eyebrows for increased realism. The disguise left the wearer bald and almost unrecognizable.

After the crime, the lawyer claimed that he destroyed the materials, cut them up, and disposed of the fragments in the building’s organic waste storeroom. He also deleted the account used on the platform and deleted purchase records.

According to the investigation, Sciuto believed there was approximately $1 million in cash stored in the apartment, which he himself sold to the victim. Because he knew the layout of the property and the routine of the resident who was traveling on the day of the murder, the businessman had passed the information to the lawyer that allowed him access to the site. Police concluded that the couple planned to split the money if the plan succeeded.

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Gualda, who at the time was an advisor to Councilman Rogerio Amorim (PL) in the Rio City Council, was dismissed from his position after his confession.

Sciuto is known for his far-right positions. On social media, he identifies himself as a gunfighter and an opponent of gender ideology and abortion. He also declares himself an honest person, a carnivore and a defender of the traditional family. In one of the posts, he appears carrying a heavy-caliber pistol and claims that he is ready to defend “all these issues.”

The businessman gained fame in Niteroi in the 2000s as the lead singer of the pop rock band Sagacidadi, a name he has tattooed on his right forearm. According to him, the group lasted about seven years and gave more than 500 shows. In early 2010, Scioto also began spreading behind the scenes in local politics.

He has already been linked to names such as federal MP Carlos Jordi (PL), candidate for mayor of Niterói last year, and brothers Rodrigo and Rogero Amorim, who are also Bolsonaro supporters. In 2020, he was a candidate for vice mayor on the slate of Delegate Dueler da Rocha (PL), representing Republicans. Two years later, he joined the PTB, where he headed the municipal council, and more recently he joined Novo, the party from which he was removed in August last year after it was embroiled in a controversy and his name was banned from running for a seat in the House of Councillors.