A Brazilian man, Nelson Ribeiro Fonseca Junior, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for stealing a Neymar-autographed football from Congress and participating in the violent 2023 riots in Brasilia. The Supreme Court found him guilty of multiple charges including theft, violent abolition of democratic rule, armed criminal association, and attempted coup.
Ribeiro admitted to taking the football, which was a gift from Neymar’s former club Santos to the Chamber of Deputies in 2012. His lawyers argued that he only picked it up to protect it during the chaos and turned it in to the police 20 days later. However, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes declared the item a public asset and said Ribeiro had “actively participated” in the insurrection.
The January 8, 2023 riots saw thousands of supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro storm key government buildings, including Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidential palace, to protest Bolsonaro’s electoral loss to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Over 500 individuals have since been convicted for their roles in the unrest.
Bolsonaro, although in the U.S. at the time, is under investigation for allegedly orchestrating a plot to prevent the transfer of power to Lula. Prosecutors claim the plan failed due to lack of military support, while Bolsonaro continues to deny all charges against him.
