Judge Marie-Claude Gilbert of the Court of Quebec sentenced François Lécuyer to 18 months in prison. Sentencing took place Friday morning.
The businessman and former owner of the Thetford Blue Sox defrauded physiotherapist Lucie Drouin by convincing her to withdraw an amount of $722,500 from her investments, including the education savings plans of her two children, for invest with him in real estate and pharmaceutical projects, in particular, in return for a significantly higher return than financial institutions. The alleged facts date back to 2014. According to the victim, this offer was presented to her as a privilege to reward her for five years of sponsorship and volunteering with her baseball team.
During the legal process, François Lécuyer pleaded guilty in exchange for an 18-month prison sentence and reimbursement of half of the stolen amount. Although she said she was “lucky” to have been able to get some of her money back, $321,000, the victim felt the common suggestion from 2021 was not reasonable. She demanded an exemplary and dissuasive sentence, as well as an order for compensation of more than $1 million for all losses incurred.
During the sentencing, Judge Gilbert mentioned that the common suggestion of 18 months in prison is reasonable. She believes that the lawyers reached a settlement that was fair and consistent with the public interest. She also cited several examples of sentences imposed in similar cases.
In addition, she rejected the request for compensation presented by the victim since she had already obtained the reimbursement that had been agreed between the two parties. The judge also explained that the Court should not replace a civil court.
A DISAPPOINTING SENTENCE
Asked to comment on the sentence imposed on the accused, victim Lucie Drouin believes that the legal system allows fraudsters to get away with it and finds this very disappointing. “I consider that it is not sufficiently deterrent. In conclusion to my experience, the message sent to society is the following: fraud pays. »
She says she experienced nine years of psychological and physical stress, financial losses and multiple consequences in all areas of her life. Although she currently does not feel like embarking on another legal process which could take several years, Lucie Drouin has not completely ruled out the idea of going to civil court to obtain compensation. “Time will tell,” she concluded.
2023-10-06 16:19:37
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