The lavish wedding reception of biker René Charlebois, which captured the imagination of Quebecers in 2000 with the performance of singer Ginette Reno, also represented a massive PR operation aimed at emphasizing the full power of the Hells Angels and their leader Maurice “Mom.” “to expose. Boucher.
In this photo confiscated by police, we see Hells Angels René “Balloune” Charlebois and his partner during their wedding ceremony at the Saint-Joseph-de-Sorel church on August 5, 2000. Courtesy of Courtoisie
This is not only the opinion of several of our police sources, but it is also the clear impression given by a video obtained by our investigative office of the best moments of this wedding in the church of Saint-Joseph-de-Sorel and the party that followed in a large marquee , which was built on Boucher’s property in Contrecœur.
Excerpts from this 90-minute video, most of which are unpublished and sent only to jurors in the mega-trials of the Hells convicted in Operation Spring 2001, are now available to view on the Journal and TVA websites.
Our Bureau of Investigation’s new book entitled “Le ripou des Hells” also contains a detailed description of the contents of this recording, which police seized during a search of “Mom” Boucher, one of “Balloune” Charlebois’s witnesses.
“The Thinker of War”
On August 5, 2000, Charlebois’s wedding anniversary, the Hells Angels were on their way to winning the biker war for control of the drug market at the end of a bloody six-year conflict that had left 150 people dead in Quebec, including about twenty innocent victims .
In this photo taken by one of the 300 guests at the wedding of Hells René Charlebois and confiscated by the police, we see Charlebois in the center with his three witnesses to his left, namely the Nomads Michel Rose, Normand Robitaille and the chef of the biker gang, Maurice “Mom” Boucher, in front of the Saint-Joseph-de-Sorel church, August 5, 2000. Courtesy. With kind approval
“It was a war for business and territory. Mom, he was the thinker of the biker wars. “Everyone wanted to report to Mama,” ex-Hells Sylvain Boulanger, who became an informant in the SharQc operation and one of the police collaborators that ex-star investigator Benoît Roberge put up for “sale,” told police. » to René Charlebois between 2012 and 2013.
Scene from the wedding reception of Hells Angels René Charlebois and his partner, August 5, 2000, in a photo confiscated by police the following year. With kind approval
Boucher had not only triumphed over the Rock Machine. After a highly publicized first trial, the Hells leader was also acquitted in November 1998 of ordering the heinous murders of two correctional officers.
In this photo confiscated by police, we see Hell’s René Charlebois crouching with his partner right behind him, as well as the three bridesmaids in elegant white dresses, including Diane Leblanc (left and wearing glasses), wife of Hell’s leader Maurice “Mom” Boucher . With kind approval
“A very special birthday…”
Additionally, August 5, 2000 marked “Mom’s” anniversary of her own couple.
“This evening is also a very special anniversary for the hosts of the reception. I want to tell you that Diane and Maurice met 29 years ago this evening. That’s why I would like to dedicate the next song to them,” announced Ginette Reno on the stage under the circus tent. She then sang “The Hymn to Love” in honor of the couple before singing for the bride and groom.
The great Ginette Reno, photographed by one of the Hells wedding reception guests René Charlebois and his partner performing Frank Sinatra’s song “My Way” to the bride and groom on August 5, 2000. With kind approval
The host of the party, whom the evening’s moderator called “Monsieur Maurice”, had also invited journalist Claude Poirier to be the first to report the news in the weekly newspaper Allô Police.
Fleeting fame
Ironically, Charlebois and Boucher didn’t get to enjoy their moment of fame for long.
Two months after toasting the newlyweds, Boucher was arrested again and imprisoned when the appeal court overturned his acquittal and ordered a second trial, resulting in his life sentence.
In this photo confiscated by the police from a Hells member, we see in the foreground the leader of the biker gang, Maurice “Mom” Boucher, posing in the square in front of the Saint-Joseph-de-Sorel church shortly after the wedding of a member of the Nomads -Chapters, René Charlebois, whose witnesses included Boucher, on August 5, 2000. COURTESY Courtoisie
He died of throat cancer in the summer of 2022 while in prison.
Charlebois, for his part, went to prison seven months after his marriage when he was caught in the spring 2001 operation.
Hells Angels René Charlebois received a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle from his comrades from the Nomads chapter on his wedding night, August 5, 2000. This photo was taken by one of the 300 guests at the reception, which took place in a marquee erected on the property of Hells leader Maurice “Mom” Boucher and subsequently confiscated by police during Operation Spring 2001. With kind approval
“You had the biggest wedding ever in Quebec. In my opinion you excel [celui de] Celine Dion! […] That’s big, René. It’s big and it flashes. What does the population think about flashing too much? Have you thought about it? » asked the investigator François Roux during his interrogation, without Charlebois deigning to answer him.
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