A former IT consultant sentenced to 30 months in prison last January for his role in a massive $5 million fraud at the expense of the city of Montreal can already be back in business two months after being paroled for his sixth. the sentence
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Benoit Bissonnette is behind bars after an endless legal saga. In fact at his third trial last November, the 60-year-old pleaded guilty after 15 years. He was acquitted in his first trial and his second trial failed.
In the late 2000s, a former computer consultant conspired with City of Montreal official Gilles Parent to embezzle millions of dollars in public funds. Benoit Bissonnette and his accomplice created a nominee company to hide the stolen funds in Hong Kong.
“willful blindness”
Their company FORTÉ extorted 3.5 million by “pre-invoicing” non-existent services to the city and creating fictitious people the city would pay. Another fraudulent scheme also made it possible to obtain $750,000. The offender admitted to exhibiting “willful blindness […] Closing his eyes as he made a deal with Gilles’ parent. In 2012, he was sentenced to six years in prison.
Benoit Bissonnette got off lightly with a 30-month prison sentence. Indeed, Judge Mario Longpre would have given him a “more severe” sentence. […] Examining [sa] High moral culpability and aggravating factors. But the judge adhered to the lawyers’ joint suggestion.
The former consultant did not have long in detention, as the Parole Board of Canada granted him day parole last June, five months after his conviction. Among the conditions imposed, he is prohibited from being self-employed or having a business.
However, less than two months after its imposition, the Commission has already withdrawn this special condition in its decision on August 2. According to her, this condition is not “reasonable and necessary” because Benoît Bissonnette’s finances are already in jeopardy thanks to another condition imposed.
Preventive sentence
“Certainly, the crimes committed are very serious, but the punishment seems to be discouraged and the crimes are limited in time. Almost fifteen years have passed since then and nothing in your file indicates that you have not respected your obligations as a self-employed worker,” the commission maintains. Benoit Bissonnette was also self-employed during the legal process (2009 to 2021).
But Benoît Bissonnette’s case management team disagreed. According to officials overseeing his reintegration, he must demonstrate “clinical progress” and better understand his “criminal dynamics” before resuming his activities as a self-employed person.
The offender always attaches great importance to “social success, money and appearance”, the commission agrees.
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