The former president of Quebec’s Private Security Union was sentenced to 15 months in prison, to be served in the community, after he stole more than $422,000 in workers’ money that he used to buy condos and a luxury car.
The verdict came on Friday afternoon at the Trois-Rivières courthouse, where Patrick Pellerin had recently entered a guilty plea for theft.
In addition to his punishment, the former USW Local 8922 president has also settled his civil disputes with the union, already paying them $440,000. There are also several orders, including that you are no longer allowed to hold an official position in connection with funds or financial products.
Recall that before his dismissal in 2021, Pellerin led the club, which included more than 16,000 members with modest salaries, including security guards and flaggers. However, he now admits to abusing his position of authority to line his pockets.
Pellerin had devised an elaborate fraud plan to pull off his stunt, which worked for nearly two years. Among other things, he used his position as union president to give two fake contracts to a company owned by his son’s wife.
However, according to Le Journal, the fruits of these contracts ended up in two of his accounts at Royal Bank last year. No fewer than 80 fraudulent transactions were recorded.
After lining his pockets, Pellerin purchased two luxury condominiums in Stoneham and Trois-Rivières, as well as a 2021 Acura TLX luxury sedan, which he purchased with the embezzled funds.
Complicating factor
The judge made the decision based on a joint proposal from the Crown and defense. In addition to serving a prison sentence, the former union leader received a 12-month suspended sentence.
The prosecutor, Julien Beauchamp, says he is very satisfied with the outcome of the trial, which did not drag on. In fact, the lawyer highlights the speed of proceedings in the case, which was resolved in just 47 days.
“Since the Jordan ruling, we have had to comply with legal deadlines. In this case, our upper limit was 915 days. “It is rare for a case to be closed so quickly,” he said.
Even though he abused his position of authority, which was an aggravating factor, Pellerin was entitled to the judge’s leniency, especially because he repaid the stolen amount.
“In addition to the $440,000 already refunded, we have seized nearly $9,600 that will be returned to the victim, the union. It played a big role in determining the sentence,” Me Beauchamp said.