Ex-Hurb CEO Detained With Fake ID Freed With Restrictions as Rio Prosecutors Seek Preventive Detention

Overview

• João Ricardo Rangel Mendes was detained on Jan. 5 at Jericoacoara airport after staff flagged a suspected irregular ID as he tried to board a flight to Guarulhos.
• Police confirmed the ID was false and noted his court-ordered ankle monitor was discharged, leading to a booking for use of a false document under Penal Code article 304.
• He was taken to the Regional Police Station in Acaraú and, at a Jan. 6 custody hearing, received provisional freedom with five measures including a 7 p.m. curfew and monthly court check-ins.
• The Rio de Janeiro state prosecutor’s office requested preventive detention, alleging noncompliance with prior conditions and seeking a technical report on his electronic monitoring data.
• Mendes faces pending Rio cases tied to a 2025 art theft investigation, set against the backdrop of his 2023 exit from Hurb after consumer complaints and regulatory scrutiny.