Actor Marcio Garcia is convicted of fraud

The Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice has ruled that actor Marcio Garcia must respond with his personal assets for a debt related to the MG Sete gym. The decision was made by the 1st Private Law Chamber, which unanimously accepted the request for disregarding the legal personality of the company. The case involves a lease contract of the gym, in which businessman Julio Pignatari Junior acted as a guarantor. After the non-compliance with contractual obligations, Pignatari was sued and had to pay R$ 1.5 million to settle the pending debt at that time. The judges found that, although Garcia had formalized his departure from the partnership in 2001, he continued to exert influence on business decisions. The Court identified that the actor maintained his role as a de facto partner and promised reimbursement to the guarantor, including the commitment to cover legal fees of the process. The case’s rapporteur based his decision by indicating that Garcia concealed the true financial situation of the company. The judicial analysis concluded that the actor simulated his withdrawal from the partnership to avoid financial responsibilities, which was interpreted as a breach of purpose. The Court’s determination reversed the previous ruling of the 42nd Civil Court. With this new decision, Garcia was included as responsible for the debt payment, which currently exceeds 10 million reais, an amount accumulated over the years.