Ronnie Lessa (born July 15, 1970),[2] rarely and erroneously referred to as Rony[3] or Roni Lessa,[4] is a former military police officer from Rio de Janeiro, retired in 2010, mainly known for being one of the main suspects involved in the assassination of councilwoman Marielle Franco and driver Anderson Gomes, which occurred in Rio de Janeiro on March 14, 2018.

Before joining the Military Police, Lessa worked as a tattoo artist in the Méier neighborhood, in the northern zone of Rio de Janeiro [pt].

[9] According to the 2019 account from an experienced civil police officer who worked with Lessa and preferred not to be identified for safety reasons: He felt like a soldier in the midst of the Vietnam War.

[4][3] In an interview with Veja magazine, when asked about his relationship with Jair Bolsonaro, Lessa said that he was assisted by the then federal deputy to receive treatment at the Brazilian Beneficent Association for Rehabilitation.

He was the owner of an illegal bingo hall in Barra da Tijuca and had plans, before his arrest, to expand his water distribution business into areas controlled by drug traffickers in the city.

The report provided the basis for a request accepted by the Rio de Janeiro Justice to transfer Lessa to the federal prison system.

According to the report, Eduardo Almeida Nunes de Siqueira, a resident of Muzema [pt], a favela controlled by the militia, cloned a car of the same model that was used in the homicide.

The police were also pursuing other lines of investigation, such as confirming that the order to kill Marielle came from former firefighter, ex-councilman, and militia member Cristiano Girão, with the aim of seeking revenge against federal deputy Marcelo Freixo, as Girão was one of the frequent names on the list of Militias' CPI [pt] (Congressional Inquiry) drawn up by the parliamentarian.

[24] In July 2023, Élcio de Queiroz entered into a plea bargain with the Federal Police and the Public Prosecutor's Office and provided detailed information on how the crime was committed.