Gospel singer Izabela Cristy, 28, and her husband David Robson de Barros, 33, were arrested this Friday morning (6) in Minas Gerais. The couple is suspected of being part of a pyramid scheme.
The arrest took place in the couple’s apartment, in the city of Lagoa Santa, in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte. According to Sergeant Alexandre Gonçalves, the couple refused to open the door and tried to use their son as protection. “We had to use force to break down the apartment door and arrest the two,” said the sergeant.
On social media, in addition to being a gospel singer, Cristy also presents herself as a trader (as financial market agents are known) and “model in Dubai” (model in Dubai).
Izabela and Rafael were taken to the Lagoa Santa police station on suspicion of committing a series of crimes of embezzlement against several victims. According to the police, the police investigation is nearing completion and the arrest of those investigated was necessary to proceed with the criminal investigation.
The pyramid scheme consists of attracting investors with the promise of returns above market applications. Each person who enters needs to contribute a value and introduce new members.
The resources are passed on to those at the top of the pyramid, that is, those who entered first. As long as new members agree to participate in the scheme, transfers continue. When no one else shows up, the system breaks down. The practice is illegal in the country.
Lawyers Túlio Rezende and Rafael Bernardes, who represent the couple, said they will not comment at the moment. They said they have not yet had access to the inquiry and have not yet met with the couple.
In April, the singer claimed that there were mistakes at the company, but blamed them on employees. “They began to advance payments to investors. We also verified false proof of transfers within the system. We have proof of all this”, she said.
Cristy’s husband stated, also in April, that the couple does not operate on the Stock Exchange, but on the non-fungible token market (NFT). He also said that the couple usually claims that they work with the Stock Exchange so as not to mention the area in which they actually operate and, thus, not arouse competition. “We’re not a pyramid,” David said.
I have over 8 years of experience in the news industry. I have worked for various news websites and have also written for a few news agencies. I mostly cover healthcare news, but I am also interested in other topics such as politics, business, and entertainment. In my free time, I enjoy writing fiction and spending time with my family and friends.
