Army captain sentenced for fabricating thesis interviews

A Brazilian Army captain has been sentenced to one year and eight months in prison for document forgery, a conviction upheld by the Superior Military Court (STM). Captain Diego Benincasa Fernandes Cavalcanti de Almeida was found guilty of fabricating parts of his academic thesis for the Officer Advancement Course at the School of Officer Advancement (ESAO).

The investigation began after irregularities were found in his 2020 thesis. According to the Military Public Prosecutor's Office, the captain received specific training on scientific methodology, research techniques, and plagiarism prevention. Despite this, the military allegedly included 15 interviews in his work that never occurred.

Soldiers named as interviewees denied participating in any research and did not recognize signatures attributed to them. Forensic reports indicated signs of "assembly and mechanical reproduction of signatures," with document analysis suggesting inkjet printing. Further examination revealed "indications of plagiarism," with technical reports identifying reproduced sections from a 2018 master's dissertation submitted to the same institution.

The defense argued for the impropriety of the charges, but the Special Court of Justice convicted the officer in July 2025 for document forgery, applying the principle of continuing offense. The STM's unanimous decision maintained this sentence, dismissing the defense's appeal.