on may 29, 2008 the brazilian federal police issued an arrest warrant against garotinho for "mobstering" ("formação de quadrilha") for his association to rio's former plainsclothes (civil) police chief alvaro lins, now a congressperson for rio de janeiro, who was charged with money laundering, criminal association, corruption and facilitating smuggling. according to the federal attorney's office, garotinho had "offered political support for lins' group to remain in charge of the civil police."