In May 1993, judge Denise Frossard convicted them to six years of prison for criminal association. Formally, 53 deaths were attributed to the group.".[14][13] "The animal game is a deeply embedded cultural phenomenon with a certain romantic aura, and thus hard to eradicate," according to Frossard. "But it is also a quintessentially Brazilian way of laundering money and contributes greatly to the problem of impunity in this country."[10] [13]