Brazilian Carlos Fujima placed on wanted list over new fraud suspicions in Ukraine

Investigators from the Directorate of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Kyiv notified Carlos Jose de Souza Fujima, a Brazilian citizen, of suspicion. He is suspected of fraud committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy. Concurrently with this decision, law enforcement officers entered the suspect into the Ministry of Internal Affairs' wanted database, as he is evading pre-trial investigation authorities.

Details of the new accusation

Procedural actions are being carried out within the framework of criminal proceedings No. 42021000000001042, which was registered in the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations on 14 May 2021. Initially, the case was qualified under the signs of offences provided for by Part 1 of Article 388 (illegal actions regarding property subject to seizure) and Part 3 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The latest notification of suspicion is formulated exclusively under Part 3 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. This provides for the appropriation of another person's property through abuse of trust, committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy, using electronic computing equipment. The law prescribes a punishment of deprivation of liberty for a period of three to eight years for such activity. The investigation is conducted by the Investigative Directorate of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Kyiv under the procedural supervision of the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office.

The "cloud mining" scheme and a company in Kropyvnytskyi

According to the investigation, starting from May 2021, Carlos Fujima, together with unidentified accomplices, organised the appropriation of funds from Ukrainian citizens. Under the guise of investing in "career plans" and "cloud mining" — cryptocurrency mining on data centre equipment without purchasing one's own hardware — investors were promised high returns. In reality, no actual mining services were provided.

To implement the scheme, the website miningexpress.com was created, offering investment plans worth 100, 500, 1,200, 20,000, and 35,000 US dollars. Depositors were promised daily passive income in the form of a "mining bonus". The promotional campaign took place on social networks and open platforms, where a "mining farm" of 4,500 square metres in Kropyvnytskyi was advertised.

Legally, this activity was structured through the private limited liability company "Mining Express". As of 18 May 2021, the ultimate beneficial owner of the company was Carlos Fujima himself. The investigation believes that the structure was created solely for fraudulent appropriation of funds, and the suspect personally controlled the transfer of cryptocurrency and its subsequent use.

Wanted status and international context

A wanted card for "de Souza Fujima Carlos Jose" has been published on the official portal of Ministry of Internal Affairs services. The initiator was the Dnipro Police Directorate of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Kyiv. The wanted category is "a person evading pre-trial investigation authorities". The card states that the disappearance occurred on 1 May 2021 in Kyiv.

In accordance with Article 281 of the Criminal Procedure Code, a wanted status is declared when the suspect's whereabouts are unknown or they are abroad. This is not proof of guilt, but gives the investigation the right, among other things, to apply a preventive measure in the form of detention in absentia (Part 6 of Article 193 of the Criminal Procedure Code).

Previously, in 2024, Carlos Fujima was already declared persona non grata in Ukraine, and Interpol issued a "blue notice" regarding him for identification purposes. An investigation is also ongoing in Brazil: as part of the special operation "Fortuito 2", the Federal Police seized assets of the Fujima network worth approximately 300 million reais, including an estate valued at over 100 million reais.

According to Brazilian media, he may face charges of money laundering, running an unlicensed financial institution, and criminal organisation. The cumulative potential sentence may exceed 50 years of imprisonment.

The investigation continues to clarify new episodes and identify other victims. In accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered innocent until their guilt is proven in the legal manner and established by a guilty verdict of a court.