Brazil’s federal court has sentenced three members of the collapsed crypto scheme Braiscompany to a combined 171 years in prison, marking one of the country’s harshest penalties in a financial fraud case.

Joel Ferreira de Souza, identified as the main operator of the pyramid scheme, was sentenced to 128 years, 5 months, and 28 days in prison after being convicted on 11 counts of money laundering, according to local reporting.  

He was found to have managed illegal financial operations through shell companies and informal cryptocurrency transactions, promising investors high returns.

Gesana Rayane Silva, a broker for the company, received a 27-year sentence for her role in transporting cash and facilitating…