Leonardo Rizzuto Shot in Laval

[antimafia]

Mafia montréalaise : un 3e suspect épinglé pour la tentative de meurtre sur Leonardo Rizzuto |
https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2023/ ... do-rizzuto

Article has been updated. Suspect’s name is Steve Emmanuel Barthélémy.

[antimafia]

Man arrested in failed hit on Leonardo Rizzuto released without charges
https://montrealgazette.com/news/local- ... do-rizzuto

Why would the police release a statement saying someone was arrested in relation to a crime then fail to charge them?

Unusual

Not unusual at all in Quebec and other provinces.

How Rochebrun was handled is exactly how Del Balso was: arrested; not charged; then released, with a promise to appear before a judge on a specific date, at which time charges could be brought forth against him. There may also be other conditions attached to a release, ranging from not abusing drugs/alcohol to not contacting specific people.

If you don’t appear as promised, a warrant can be issued for your arrest.

So what happens when you go in front of the judge? Do you get charged? Not get charged? Are you automatically assumed guilty if you don't show up?

Tonyd621,

I can provide a more comprehensive answer later but, for now, I'll respond that various federal or provincial law-enforcement agencies in Canada will correspondingly recommend to either federal or provincial Crown prosecutors that individuals arrested and then released by the agenices be charged with particular offences. The Jordan ruling (also known as the Jordan decision and the Jordan rule) that is mentioned in the French-language article to which I've linked below (l'arrêt Jordan) -- the article is on topic -- is now an important consideration for such agencies to make sure that individuals who are formally charged don't experience long trial delays afterward. The Jordan ruling has resulted in a number of high-profile cases against organized-crime figures being dropped, e.g., Project Clemenza in Quebec.

So it seems the SQ has an idea of who the shooter and driver are; and that these two were in the same vehicle:.

La SQ arrête un deuxième suspect lié à la tentative de meurtre sur Leonardo Rizzuto
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/19 ... ct-enquete

[antimafia]

Leonardo Rizzuto attempted murder: third arrest made
https://montreal.citynews.ca/2023/05/01 ... rd-arrest/

[OcSleeper]

Attempted murder of Leonardo Rizzuto: Police find gun used by shooter
https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2023/ ... -le-tireur

[antimafia]

Pourquoi le clan Rizzuto n’a-t-il pas répliqué ?
https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2023/05/03/ ... s-replique

[antimafia]

L’arme utilisée pour tenter de tuer Leonardo Rizzuto aurait été retrouvée
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/19 ... ete-quebec

From the article:

« C'est signe que l'enquête avance bien. L'information peut provenir d'un témoin qui a vu le véhicule suspect lancer un objet le long de la route. Mais selon moi, c'est probablement davantage quelqu'un qui est impliqué dans la tentative de meurtre qui s'est décidé à parler. Il faut que ce suspect ait été dans l'auto du tireur pour indiquer aux policiers où se déplacer exactement », affirme Marcel Savard, ancien directeur général adjoint à la SQ.

[antimafia]

Les Hells Angels à motos pour leur première sortie publique en 2023
https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2023/ ... ue-en-2023

Excerpt:

L’une de ces opérations a d’ailleurs été menée il y a un mois, jour pour jour, dans la luxueuse résidence du Hells Martin Robert, à Sainte-Sophie, dans les Laurentides. Une autre perquisition a eu lieu le même jour chez son compatriote Stéphane «Fesse» Plouffe, à Saint-Joseph-du-Lac.

La police considère ces deux motards comme étant parmi les plus influents membres des Hells Angels au pays.

On ignore cependant ce que pensent les autres membres des Hells au sujet des liens d’affaires que Robert et Plouffe entretiendraient aussi avec un ex-lieutenant du clan Rizzuto, Francesco Del Balso, que la police soupçonne d’avoir commandé la tentative de meurtre visant le co-chef de la mafia montréalaise, Leonardo Rizzuto, qui a été blessé par balles en mars dernier à Laval.

[OcSleeper]

Francesco Del Balso arrested as he was about to leave the country
https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/just ... e-pays.php

Back on March 29, Lapresse reported Del Balso was also targeted at the end of January in Laval but unforunantely someone else was shot by mistake but lived. They have now arrested a 36 year old man from Hamilton for the shooting.

The victim was allegedly targeted by mistake, a suspect arrested
https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/just ... arrete.php

[antimafia]

^^^^
Although it's tantalizing that the young man arrested in the botched attempt on Francesco Del Balso's life this past January 29 is from Hamilton, it should be noted that other young individuals from Ontario have been involved in hits and attempted hits in Quebec.

A couple of weeks after Bernard Cherfan, a leader of a Lebanese organized-crime cell in Quebec was killed in Laval on June 1 of last year, a 25-year-old woman from Pickering, Ontario was arrested -- Pickering is a city that is bounded to the west by Scarborough East in Toronto. Six months later, two young men were also arrested in relation to the murder, and they were already being held in a Toronto detention centre on a separate matter when they had to appear via videoconference with respect to the Cherfan murder.

[OcSleeper]

Attempted murder in Laval: a septuagenarian would have been mixed with a notorious mafioso
https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2023/ ... re-a-laval

[antimafia]

Prominent Hells Angel Gilles Lambert is now the fourth HA caught up relation to the drug investigation that appears to involve fellow HAs Martin Robert, Stéphane Plouffe, and Michel Lamontagne, as well as Francesco Del Balso.

Crime organisé : la police s’invite chez un autre gros nom des Hells Angels
http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2023/0 ... lls-angels

NB: I fixed the link to the article.

[antimafia]

^^^^
Trafic de stupéfiants | Un autre Hells Angels subit le supplice de la goutte
https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/just ... goutte.php

[JCB1977]

Looking forward to see if any concrete arrests are made or if any informants are being squeezed. Somebody wanted him dead, I know that much. Any hypothesis on who could be behind it? The Calabrians?

[antimafia]

Seems that some of the top 81s in Quebec who are friendly with Francesco Del Balso are under the microscope themselves.

Des Hells en eaux troubles :
https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2023/ ... x-troubles

[OcSleeper]

Looking forward to see if any concrete arrests are made or if any informants are being squeezed. Somebody wanted him dead, I know that much. Any hypothesis on who could be behind it? The Calabrians?

It's been reported that police believe Francesco Del Balso ordered it in retaliation for his October 2022 shooting that he survived unscathed and a shooting that took place at the end of January 2023 that unfortunately resulted in a innocent being shot and wounded in a case of mistaken identity. Kevin Rochebrun and Steve Emmanuel Barthélémy are suspected to have taken part in the shooting of Leonardo. No charges have been filed yet for any of them yet.

Some people also believe that the HA are involved due to Del Balso's closeness to them. As far as I know, there has been no reports stating that as of yet. But it's easy to see how one could come to that conclusion. There's currently a big drug investigation into Martin Robert's and Stephane Plouffe's network, which Del Balso is suspected of being involved in. The day Del Balso's house was searched in relation of Rizzuto's shooting, the houses of Martin Robert and Plouffe were also searched. At the time of Rizzuto's shooting, Del Balso and Martin Robert were out of the country together (I heard in Mexico).

This morning JdM released an article about the HA and repeated that the HA are not being investigated for the Rizzuto shooting. It also described Martin Robert's and Plouffe's relationship with Del Balso is "radioactive" and a cause of tension within the club.

“This story does not sit well with many other Hells Angels. It creates discontent internally and it makes the club look bad, ”told us a police source well connected to the underworld.

So even if Del Balso had some HA backers, it appears it would not be a unanimous among the Montreal HA. Makes me wonder if Cazzetta's benching late last year and his explusion/transfer from the Montreal HA had something to do with this as he is close with Rizzuto. The timing could just as easily be a coincidence.

You'll need to make an account to read.
https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2023/ ... x-troubles

After Rizzuto was shot JdM put out an article with 3 theories. First was Desjardins was behind it, second is Mirarchi ordered it, and the third was came from people aligned with him that are upset with his leadership. Back on page 10 of this post I wrote up my own theory who could be behind the attack based on the third theory from JdM. My main suspect was Marco Pizzi, I also wondered if Davide Barberio and/or Del Balso could be involved given the 3 men are presumably close. It later came out Del Balso is the main suspect so I guess I wasn't too far off.

On May 7th, Lapresse released this article that mentioned the businesses of several mafia leaders have been the target of several arson attacks and shootings in recent months. Del Balso being one, for obvious reasons but Pizzi and Barberio have also been targeted and according to Lapresse it started right after Rizzuto was shot. Makes me wonder if Pizzi and Barberio do have some involvement after all.

https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/just ... tition.php

It might be worth pointing out that Kevin Rochebrun is a member or associates with a gang based out of the Rivière-des-Prairies borough of Montreal which is an area Pizzi and Barberio are said to be influential. On the other hand he was also the one who tried killing Pizzi in 2016.