Lawyer target of operation for alleged billion-dollar ICMS fraud began career in Bauru and received citizenship title in 2022

Operation against fraud of R$ 3.8 billion in ICMS targets economic groups with lawyers in SP and PR Lawyer Nelson Wilians, one of the targets of Operation Distrato, launched this Wednesday (15) to investigate an alleged fraud scheme involving ICMS credits with an estimated loss of R$ 3.8 billion to public coffers, has a direct connection with Bauru (SP), the city where he began his career in law and was honored, in 2022, with the title of Citizen Bauruense by the City Council. The mega-operation carried out search and seizure warrants in the region of Jundiaí (SP) and in five other cities in São Paulo and Paraná this Wednesday (15). Nelson Wilians took his first steps into the legal profession in Bauru, where he moved to study Law at the Toledo Education Institution (ITE), leaving Cianorte (PR), where he was born. ? Join the g1 Bauru e Marília channel on WhatsApp It was in Bauru that he built his initial client portfolio and established the foundations of the office that, years later, would become Nelson Wilians Advogados (NWADV), considered one of the largest in Latin America. Lawyer Nelson Wilians speaks at the Chamber of Councilors of Bauru, during the 2022 session in which he received the title of citizen of Bauru TV Câmara Bauru/Reproduction The honor granted by the Chamber of Bauru was proposed by the then councilor Miltinho Sardin and unanimously approved by the parliamentarians. During the formal session held in May 2022, the lawyer recalled the beginning of his professional career in the city and stated that Bauru was the true birthplace of his career. "I graduated here, I got my OAB license here," said Wilians during his speech. According to him, his law practice began in a room borrowed by a doctor, on Rua Monsenhor Claro. "He said: from 8 am to 4 pm, if you want to use my room, feel free", he recalled, citing the invitation received from doctor Antonio Sebastião Urias Cabrera. Afterwards, the first own office was installed on Avenida Rio Branco. At the ceremony, Nelson Wilians also stated that, although the company opened the CNPJ in São Paulo in 1999, practical operations were still concentrated in Bauru. "The actual office was in Bauru, which was a branch," he stated. Lawyer Nelson Wilians has more than 1.4 million followers on Instagram and has one of the largest law firms in Latin America. Reproduction/Social Networks Beginning of his career in the center-west of São Paulo Before establishing himself as a lawyer, Wilians combined studies and different jobs to support himself during his degree. He worked in the human resources department at Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Bauru and also worked for companies in the region, including Jaú. With financial difficulties, he ended up working on weekends at a gas station, where he performed different functions, such as refueling, cashiering and washing vehicles, according to data from the Bauru City Council on the honoree. After passing the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) exam, he began practicing freelance law in Bauru, with clients from the region, and in 1999 he formally established himself in São Paulo, opening units in all Brazilian capitals in the following years. Currently, NWADV operates throughout the country and has an international presence. Even after the expansion, Nelson Wilians maintained ties with Bauru and with ITE, the institution from which he graduated in 1993. Over the years, he returned to the college to give lectures and share experiences with Law students. The most recent of these lectures took place in March last year, in the master class, with the theme "Not Madness, Courage!", the same title as his book which addresses the use of communication and marketing as strategic allies in the legal career. READ MORE Operation against fraud of R$ 3.8 billion in ICMS targets economic groups with lawyers in SP and PR Operation against fraud of R$ 3.8 billion in ICMS has warrants in Jundiaí Who is Nelson Wilians, lawyer targeted by the PF, who has been on the cover of Forbes, worked in Gugu's inheritance and collects erotic works Lawyer Nelson Wilians during Operation Distrato, who searches his office Disclosure/Secretariat of Finance of SP Operation investigates alleged billion-dollar scheme This Wednesday (15), Nelson Wilians became one of the targets of Operation Distrato, carried out by the Interinstitutional Asset Recovery Committee (CIRA/SP), linked to the São Paulo Finance and Planning Secretariat. According to the investigation, law firms, consultancies and intermediary companies participated in a scheme to sell allegedly false ICMS tax credits, used to unduly reduce taxes owed to the State. Authorities estimate that the group under investigation transferred around R$3.8 billion in irregular tax credits. In total, 38 search and seizure warrants were executed in cities in São Paulo and Paraná. Nelson Wilians' office is named as part of one of the groups investigated. In a statement, Wilians' office reported that "it received the search and seizure measure with serenity, transparency and an absolute collaborative spirit, remaining at the disposal of the competent authorities and acting proactively to completely clarify the facts." This is the second time in less than a year that Nelson Wilians has been the target of investigations. In September last year, he was also the target of a Federal Police operation that investigated alleged fraud related to the INSS. On that occasion, luxury vehicles, works of art, weapons and other goods were seized at addresses linked to the lawyer and others under investigation. Operation Distrato investigations continue. To date, there has been no judicial conviction related to the case.