Former Quebec construction mogul Tony Accurso has received a four-year prison term following his conviction on fraud and corruption charges.
A judge handed down the sentence this morning in Laval, just north of Montreal.
A jury recently found Accurso guilty on all five charges he was facing stemming from a municipal corruption scheme in Laval.
The Crown was seeking a five-year prison term, while Accurso’s lawyer argued his client should serve a suspended sentence in the community.
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 in which 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.