News (Media Awareness Project) - CN QU: Drug Ring Leaders Guilty Of Gangsterism |
| Title: | CN QU: Drug Ring Leaders Guilty Of Gangsterism |
| Published On: | 2007-01-25 |
| Source: | Montreal Gazette (CN QU) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-08-17 12:45:08 |
DRUG RING LEADERS GUILTY OF GANGSTERISM
Prosecution Was Country's First. Trial Was Test of Law's New
Definition of 'Criminal Organization'
Five drug traffickers who held a street in Montreal North "hostage"
while their gang dealt crack on sidewalks and out of a high school
parking lot have been convicted of gangsterism in a case described as
a first in Canada.
Rendering his verdict yesterday after the three-month trial, Quebec
Court Judge Jean-Pierre Bonin said he could summarize the case this
way: "A band of criminals literally took hostage a part of Pelletier
(Ave.) between Henri Bourassa Blvd. and d'Amos St. In that area the
group took control of drug trafficking, in particular crack, partly
by using violence and threats to exclude all other groups."
The trial was unique because it targeted street gang members,
alleging they were part of a large-scale conspiracy along the lines
of the Hells Angels or the Mafia. It also tested a section of the
Criminal Code amended in 2001 to broaden the definition of a
"criminal organization." Prosecutors are no longer required to prove
an accused knew the name of any of the people who were part of the
criminal organization.
The investigation into Bernard Mathieu's gang began in 2004. Dubbed
Project Abat, it targeted drug trafficking on Pelletier Ave. after
two men delivering drugs were shot dead in 2003. They were killed on
Pelletier Ave. in front of an apartment building often used by
Mathieu's dealers. An innocent victim was left paralyzed by the shooting.
Montreal police Det.-Sgt. Jean-Claude Gauthier, an expert on street
gangs, testified during the trial that Mathieu, 35, was suspected of
controlling Pelletier Ave. for a decade. His dealers were a constant
presence on the street, drinking rum, playing cards and dealing
crack, even out of the parking lot of Ecole secondaire Calixa Lavallee.
When he was in his early 20s, Mathieu lived in one of the many large
apartment buildings that line Pelletier Ave.
Undercover police bought several rocks of crack from Mathieu's
dealers during the investigation. They also recorded several
conversations that proved Mathieu was the leader.
In April 2005, police arrested Mathieu and more than 25 people tied
to his network. Several have pleaded guilty since then but yesterday
15 who decided to go through with the lengthy trial at the courthouse
on Gouin Blvd. were convicted of at least one count of drug
trafficking. Ten of the 15 faced the possibility of being convicted
of commission of an offence for a criminal organization, which
carries a maximum 14-year sentence, but Bonin ruled the prosecution
failed to provide enough evidence against five.
Valter Fernandes, who hung out with Mathieu's gang, smiled as he
learned he was acquitted of all the major charges the co-accused
faced. Bonin said there was not enough evidence to convict Fernandes
of being part of a criminal organization or trafficking in either
cocaine or crack. He was convicted only of trafficking in marijuana.
It was Fernandes who learned that Mathieu and his dealers were under
investigation during Project Abat. His girlfriend noticed
surveillance photos of Mathieu's dealers posted on the walls of
neighbourhood police Station 39. When Fernandes warned Mathieu, the
dealers moved to nearby Garon Ave.
Wilson Longin, one of several dealers convicted of drug trafficking
and conspiracy, said he planned to appeal.
During the trial, the defence lawyers generally accepted the fact
their clients were guilty of drug trafficking but argued the accused
were working individually and for their own profit.
"We think it raises questions about gangsterism ... that will
probably be addressed to the Quebec Court of Appeal to determine what
is a criminal organization in Quebec," lead defence lawyer
Marie-Helene Giroux said.
"We wonder what the difference is between a conspiracy involving
three people or more and a criminal organization."
Sentencing arguments in the case of the minor figures in the trial
begin today. In Mathieu's case, they begin in February.
Mathieu is fighting a deportation order that would have him sent to Haiti.
Key Members Of Montreal North Gang, And Charges They Faced
Bernard (Ti-Pon) Mathieu
Age: 35
Residence: Laval
Head of drug-trafficking gang
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic
Trafficking in marijuana
Trafficking in drugs for a criminal organization
Loukens (FBI) Fevrius
Age: 24
Residence: Montreal
Supervised street-level dealers
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic
Trafficking in drugs for a criminal organization
Roger LEger
Age: 54
Residence: Montreal North
Distributed drugs to the network
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic in drugs
Reginald (Reg) Casimir
Age: 36
Residence: Laval
Supplied drugs to Bernard Mathieu's gang
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic in drugs
Wilson Longin
Age: 37
Residence: Montreal
Street dealer
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic in drugs
Hansley (Ice) Joseph
Age: 27
Residence: Montreal
Supplier
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic in drugs
Jean-Yves (Infinity) Longin Valbrun
Age: 27
Residence: Laval
Gang lieutenant
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic
Trafficking in drugs for a criminal organization
Joel Samedy
Age: 44
Residence: Montreal
Street dealer
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic in drugs
Jean-Pierre Joseph
Age: 30
Residence: Montreal North
Member of street gang called the Dope Squad. He supplied Mathieu's gang.
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic in drugs
Jean-Robert (Ti-Jean) Pierre Antoine
Age: 39
Residence: Laval
Gang lieutenant
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic
Trafficking in marijuana
Trafficking in drugs for a criminal organization
Valter Fernandes
Age: 31
Residence: Sorel
Dealt marijuana and hung out with Bernard Mathieu's gang
Trafficking in marijuana
Serge Hadley Mussotte
Age: 30
Residence: Montreal
Member of the Dope Squad. He helped supply drugs to Mathieu's gang.
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic in drugs
Clinton (President) St. Thomas
Age: 30
Residence: Montreal
Distributed drugs to dealers
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic
Trafficking in drugs for a criminal organization
Celonie (Joe) Mervilus
Age: 39
Residence: Montreal
Distributed drugs to dealers
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic in drugs
Roberto (Toto) Aurelius
Age: 30
Residence: Montreal North
Supplier
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic in drugs
Prosecution Was Country's First. Trial Was Test of Law's New
Definition of 'Criminal Organization'
Five drug traffickers who held a street in Montreal North "hostage"
while their gang dealt crack on sidewalks and out of a high school
parking lot have been convicted of gangsterism in a case described as
a first in Canada.
Rendering his verdict yesterday after the three-month trial, Quebec
Court Judge Jean-Pierre Bonin said he could summarize the case this
way: "A band of criminals literally took hostage a part of Pelletier
(Ave.) between Henri Bourassa Blvd. and d'Amos St. In that area the
group took control of drug trafficking, in particular crack, partly
by using violence and threats to exclude all other groups."
The trial was unique because it targeted street gang members,
alleging they were part of a large-scale conspiracy along the lines
of the Hells Angels or the Mafia. It also tested a section of the
Criminal Code amended in 2001 to broaden the definition of a
"criminal organization." Prosecutors are no longer required to prove
an accused knew the name of any of the people who were part of the
criminal organization.
The investigation into Bernard Mathieu's gang began in 2004. Dubbed
Project Abat, it targeted drug trafficking on Pelletier Ave. after
two men delivering drugs were shot dead in 2003. They were killed on
Pelletier Ave. in front of an apartment building often used by
Mathieu's dealers. An innocent victim was left paralyzed by the shooting.
Montreal police Det.-Sgt. Jean-Claude Gauthier, an expert on street
gangs, testified during the trial that Mathieu, 35, was suspected of
controlling Pelletier Ave. for a decade. His dealers were a constant
presence on the street, drinking rum, playing cards and dealing
crack, even out of the parking lot of Ecole secondaire Calixa Lavallee.
When he was in his early 20s, Mathieu lived in one of the many large
apartment buildings that line Pelletier Ave.
Undercover police bought several rocks of crack from Mathieu's
dealers during the investigation. They also recorded several
conversations that proved Mathieu was the leader.
In April 2005, police arrested Mathieu and more than 25 people tied
to his network. Several have pleaded guilty since then but yesterday
15 who decided to go through with the lengthy trial at the courthouse
on Gouin Blvd. were convicted of at least one count of drug
trafficking. Ten of the 15 faced the possibility of being convicted
of commission of an offence for a criminal organization, which
carries a maximum 14-year sentence, but Bonin ruled the prosecution
failed to provide enough evidence against five.
Valter Fernandes, who hung out with Mathieu's gang, smiled as he
learned he was acquitted of all the major charges the co-accused
faced. Bonin said there was not enough evidence to convict Fernandes
of being part of a criminal organization or trafficking in either
cocaine or crack. He was convicted only of trafficking in marijuana.
It was Fernandes who learned that Mathieu and his dealers were under
investigation during Project Abat. His girlfriend noticed
surveillance photos of Mathieu's dealers posted on the walls of
neighbourhood police Station 39. When Fernandes warned Mathieu, the
dealers moved to nearby Garon Ave.
Wilson Longin, one of several dealers convicted of drug trafficking
and conspiracy, said he planned to appeal.
During the trial, the defence lawyers generally accepted the fact
their clients were guilty of drug trafficking but argued the accused
were working individually and for their own profit.
"We think it raises questions about gangsterism ... that will
probably be addressed to the Quebec Court of Appeal to determine what
is a criminal organization in Quebec," lead defence lawyer
Marie-Helene Giroux said.
"We wonder what the difference is between a conspiracy involving
three people or more and a criminal organization."
Sentencing arguments in the case of the minor figures in the trial
begin today. In Mathieu's case, they begin in February.
Mathieu is fighting a deportation order that would have him sent to Haiti.
Key Members Of Montreal North Gang, And Charges They Faced
Bernard (Ti-Pon) Mathieu
Age: 35
Residence: Laval
Head of drug-trafficking gang
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic
Trafficking in marijuana
Trafficking in drugs for a criminal organization
Loukens (FBI) Fevrius
Age: 24
Residence: Montreal
Supervised street-level dealers
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic
Trafficking in drugs for a criminal organization
Roger LEger
Age: 54
Residence: Montreal North
Distributed drugs to the network
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic in drugs
Reginald (Reg) Casimir
Age: 36
Residence: Laval
Supplied drugs to Bernard Mathieu's gang
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic in drugs
Wilson Longin
Age: 37
Residence: Montreal
Street dealer
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic in drugs
Hansley (Ice) Joseph
Age: 27
Residence: Montreal
Supplier
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic in drugs
Jean-Yves (Infinity) Longin Valbrun
Age: 27
Residence: Laval
Gang lieutenant
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic
Trafficking in drugs for a criminal organization
Joel Samedy
Age: 44
Residence: Montreal
Street dealer
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic in drugs
Jean-Pierre Joseph
Age: 30
Residence: Montreal North
Member of street gang called the Dope Squad. He supplied Mathieu's gang.
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic in drugs
Jean-Robert (Ti-Jean) Pierre Antoine
Age: 39
Residence: Laval
Gang lieutenant
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic
Trafficking in marijuana
Trafficking in drugs for a criminal organization
Valter Fernandes
Age: 31
Residence: Sorel
Dealt marijuana and hung out with Bernard Mathieu's gang
Trafficking in marijuana
Serge Hadley Mussotte
Age: 30
Residence: Montreal
Member of the Dope Squad. He helped supply drugs to Mathieu's gang.
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic in drugs
Clinton (President) St. Thomas
Age: 30
Residence: Montreal
Distributed drugs to dealers
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic
Trafficking in drugs for a criminal organization
Celonie (Joe) Mervilus
Age: 39
Residence: Montreal
Distributed drugs to dealers
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic in drugs
Roberto (Toto) Aurelius
Age: 30
Residence: Montreal North
Supplier
Trafficking in cocaine
Trafficking in crack
Conspiracy to traffic in drugs
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