On Tuesday, a group consisting of eight contractors and five engineers pleaded guilty to fraud charges while working with ex-Laval mayor Gilles Vaillancourt.
READ MORE: Former Laval mayor Gilles Vaillancourt sentenced after pleading guilty to fraud
The Crown suggested sentences from 12 to 24 months for the group, except for former Municipality of Laval director of engineering, Claude Deguise.
The judge recommended that Deguise serve 30 months for his role in the fraud. He was considered the mastermind behind the collusion and fraud charges.
READ MORE: Former Laval mayor Gilles Vaillancourt pleads guilty to fraud, gangsterism charges dropped
In December 2016, Vaillancourt pleaded guilty to charges of fraud, breach of trust and conspiracy between 1996 and 2010.
He was arrested along with 37 other people by Quebec’s anti-corruption squad in May 2013 during a police operation at his home, condo, offices and bank safety-deposit boxes.
Vaillancourt originally faced 12 charges of gangsterism, conspiracy, fraud, breach of trust, bribery, favouritism, corruption and collusion.
The gangsterism charges were dropped.