On September 14, in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, tragedy struck when 49-year-old model Sabine Boghici fell from a building’s fifth floor. The nature and cause of her death are still under police review, with multiple theories, including potential suicide, being weighed.
While Boghici was known for her modeling, she also had pursuits in singing and acting. However, a turn of events in August 2022 exposed a layered deception centered on false predictions, superstitions, and pilfered art. Central to this narrative was a deceitful claim by a phony psychic about Boghici’s supposed impending death.
This alleged foresight deeply troubled Boghici’s mother, Geneviève, who began funneling large sums, under the belief they were meant for “spiritual work” to shield her daughter. In all, she disbursed close to a staggering $150 million.
Much of this amount was tied to Geneviève’s inherited art collection, featuring renowned pieces by Brazilian artists Tarsila do Amaral and Emiliano Di Cavalcanti. Claiming a need for spiritual interventions due to “the evil eye”, both Boghici and her spouse Rosa Stanesco Nicolau, now in detention for her alleged role, routinely took these art pieces from Geneviève’s domicile.
Over time, Geneviève started to question the transactions and ceased them in February 2020. As an alleged countermeasure, Boghici intensified her control over her mother, cutting ties and dismissing domestic workers, making further art theft feasible. A police operation later found some of these artworks stashed under a bed.
This extensive scam led to the pressing of charges against six individuals on various counts, including embezzlement, extortion, false imprisonment, and criminal association. While Boghici and Nicolau were both detained, Boghici secured bail in March. A court proceeding was fixed for September 21, but Boghici’s sudden death means her involvement ends. Her lawyer, Hugo Novais, confirmed this, but proceedings against the others accused persist. The inquiry into Boghici’s demise continues.