Former Quebec construction mogul Tony Accurso is to be sentenced today following his conviction on fraud and corruption charges.
A jury recently found Accurso guilty on all five charges he was facing stemming from a municipal corruption scheme in Laval.
The Crown wants Accurso to receive a five-year prison term and have to pay $1.6 million in restitution.
Accurso’s lawyer told the court his client should serve a suspended sentence in the community.
He also cast doubt on Accurso’s ability to pay such a sum given several outstanding civil cases.
Accurso was found guilty of conspiracy to commit corruption in municipal affairs; conspiracy to commit fraud; fraud of more than $5,000; corruption of municipal officials; and breach of trust.
The scheme was orchestrated by former Laval mayor Gilles Vaillancourt and the charges involved a kickback scheme between 1996 and 2010 where companies paid off city officials in exchange for public contracts.
Vaillancourt pleaded guilty to fraud-related charges and was sentenced to six years in prison.
Comments