Federal Judge Orders J&F’s R$10.3 Billion Leniency Fine Recalculated After Finding Coercion

Overview

• Judge Antonio Claudio Macedo, of the 10th Federal Criminal Court in Brasília, annulled the automatic penalty clause and directed an immediate recalculation of the fine.
• The decision limits the calculation base to activities, revenues and contracts under Brazilian jurisdiction directly tied to the misconduct and to J&F’s actual equity stakes.
• Amounts previously paid by J&F to the U.S. Department of Justice for the same facts must be deducted from the new penalty.
• J&F said the ruling corrects an injustice and projects a reduced fine of about R$1 billion, though the final amount has not yet been set.
• The case stems from a 2017 leniency linked to Greenfield, Sepsis and Cui Bono, with prior suspension by Justice Dias Toffoli in 2023 and debate intensified by Operation Spoofing messages citing R$595 million.