During an attempt to defraud multiple life and personal injury insurance companies, a Brazilian man allegedly arranged to have his foot amputated.
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To execute the scheme, Vanderley dos Santos Gomes knew he would have to go out on a limb. In fact, he'd have to sacrifice one entirely to make his story convincing.
Gomes, from Amelia Rodrigues, was convicted of fraud after judges ruled that he had orchestrated a violent robbery to try to claim compensation. Gomes submitted claims to four different life and personal accident insurance policies.
The insurance claims would have paid out up to 1.5 million reais (or roughly $289,000 dollars).
Gomes claimed that he was kidnapped and brutally assaulted by robbers. He claimed that the assailants chopped his foot off with a machete.
He was found with his foot missing on the side of a road in the village of Mercês.
His freshly sliced foot was later discovered inside a backpack, along with belongings he had reported stolen.
After receiving medical treatment and surgery, Gomes sought compensation from the insurance companies.
Gomes Sentenced to Prison For Fraud Charges
The court noted that Gomes worked a steady job as a clerk at the Federal University of Reconcavo da Bahia. However, when Gomes took out several high-priced insurance policies in 2019, it raised suspicion.
Additionally, after reviewing medical records, the court also determined that his amputated foot was removed too cleanly to be the work of untrained criminals.
Court documents stated that the series of insurance purchases, the exorbitance of the policies and the mysteriously precise amputation rang alarm bells for police and insurance companies.
Gomes was initially sentenced to two years in prison. This was later changed to 720 hours of community service and a £1,113 fine, according to a ruling by the Criminal Enforcement Court in São Gonçalo dos Campos.
He started serving his time in May after several attempts to appeal the decision.
