Student from USP accused of diverting R$1 million becomes defendant for scamming a lottery house
Accused of diverting R$937,000 raised by medical students to pay for the graduation ceremony, a USP student also became a defendant for diverting R$192,900 from a lottery agency in the southern zone of São Paulo.
The Lottery House
tags:
lottery
Alicia Dudy Muller Veiga
Introduction:
26-year-old student Alicia Dudy Muller Veiga, previously accused of diverting funds from a medical school graduation party at the University of São Paulo (USP), now finds herself involved in yet another controversial episode. This time, she is a defendant for fraud after attempting to gain an unfair advantage at a lottery house in the South Zone of the capital.
Exemplary Student Becomes Police Case
26-year-old student Alicia Dudy Muller Veiga seemed to be an exemplary case of overcoming adversity. Coming from humble origins, she took the university entrance exam four times until, at the age of 20, she surpassed 16,000 competitors and entered the Faculty of Medicine at USP, where she quickly authored scientific articles and became a right-hand person to professors. Alicia also assisted practicing doctors in their specialization phase. The doctors, who were busy with their shifts, entrusted her, considered "outstanding," with part of their research, such as collecting material for doctoral studies. This work earned her experience, knowledge, and a stipend. It was during this time that Alicia received R$3,000 in five installments of emergency aid during the pandemic. Alicia also found time to participate in the MD PhD program, which allows USP medical students to study graduate-level subjects, with the possibility of completing their degree with a doctorate.
However, Alicia's friends noticed a change in her lifestyle. In 2022, she rented a new 42m² flat in the Ipiranga neighborhood for R$3,700, with a bedroom, living room, kitchen, balcony, and two parking spaces. In no time, the student furnished the entire apartment with new furniture.
However, the life of the brilliant student turned into a police case. In January 2023, Alicia became known after being accused of diverting R$937,000 collected by the Graduation Committee of the class she was part of.
With some distress, on January 3, Alicia told her coworker that she had lost all the graduation money by investing in a financial brokerage. When asked if she had "gone crazy," Alicia allegedly ended the conversation. Five days later, she confessed to the crime.
Diversion of Graduation Funds
On January 8, she sent WhatsApp messages to the Graduation Committee confessing the diversion and reaffirming that she lost everything after being scammed by the brokerage. After the confession, her colleagues went to the police to file a report when they found out that Alicia was already under investigation in São Bernardo do Campo for suspicious bets on Lotofácil and a R$192,900 scam at a lottery house.
Alicia said she took the money from the company hired to collect the party funds, claiming that the funds were not well managed by the graduation company that had been hired.
As a member of the graduation committee, Alicia decided to manage the money on her own. She said she made "terrible investments" and lost money. To recover the funds, she allegedly made bets at the lottery house.
The student also later admitted to using part of the money for her own benefit. With the funds, she paid for rent on an apartment and a car, as well as purchasing electronic equipment. Because of these allegations, Alicia became a defendant for the first time in March of last year.
Accusation of Attempting to Obtain Undue Advantage at the Lottery House
Alicia was charged by the Public Prosecutor's Office with fraud. The accusation arose after Alicia attempted to place bets totaling R$891,000, paying only R$891.53, a minuscule fraction of the amount owed. According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, she requested the bets, claiming to make transfers via PIX to the lottery house. However, when the value of the bets reached R$193,800, the management of the establishment noticed that Alicia had scheduled only a small portion of the total amount.
When the manager of the lottery house noticed the scam, it was already too late. The employee became suspicious of Alicia when she realized that, instead of payment, the student had only made a Pix scheduling. Questioned, Alicia showed the transfer statement of R$891. The problem was that the employee had already formalized the bets of R$193,800.
The indictment was accepted on November 29. However, the information was only revealed recently because it is under judicial secrecy.
Between April and July 2022, Alicia made at least R$397,200 in bets in the same place. She won R$366,600 in prizes. Despite losing money, the method would have served to launder the graduation money, said the police at the time.
After several bets in the range of R$10,000, the lottery house reported fraud to the police. It was on July 12 that Alicia placed bets of R$193,000 without the Pix transfer being made.
Conclusion:
The case of Alicia Dudy Muller Veiga highlights the urgency of addressing not only the legal consequences of her actions but also the possible underlying causes, such as gambling addiction. Her repeated involvement in fraudulent activities, including the diversion of graduation funds and attempted fraud at a lottery house, suggests a concerning compulsion that may underlie her illegal behaviors. Additionally, it underscores the importance of responsible gambling and awareness of the risks associated with compulsive gambling. Beyond punitive measures, it is crucial to offer treatment for individuals like Alicia in order to prevent future transgressions and ensure they receive the necessary assistance to address their personal struggles. Only through a comprehensive approach that combines law enforcement with social support and proper treatment can we hope to achieve the justice and reparations necessary for all parties involved.