Maple Syrup Heist’s Ringleader Ordered To Pay $9 Million Fine
The ringleader of a maple syrup heist is in a sticky situation after the Supreme Court of Canada upheld a fine for $9.2 million following the bizarre theft.
In 2012, 2,700 tonnes of maple syrup were taken from a warehouse located in Saint-Louis-de-Blandford, Quebec that was owned by the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers. The robbery was discovered during an inventory check when water was found in replace of the syrup.
The total value of the stolen maple syrup was over $18 million. Following the heist, 26 people were accused of being involved with the crime.
The leader of the operation was identified as Richard Vallières. In 2017, he was sentenced to eight years in prison in addition to paying $9 million in fines. However, Vallières went on to appeal the million-dollar fine.
As per USA Today, Vallières argued that while he sold the maple syrup for $10 million, he only made $1 million in profit. A Quebec Superior Court eventually reduced his fine to only $1 million.
In response, the Crown appealed the decision, arguing the appellate court was wrong to reduce the fine. The court went on to be presented to the Supreme Court of Canada this year, which recently ruled in favor of keeping the original fine.
The Supreme Court unanimously decided to reinstate the original $9.2 million fine. Chief Justice Richard Wagner explained that Vallières will be responsible for paying the full fine in a 10-year time span except $828,602 he paid as part of a previous court order.
"Distinguishing between an offender's income and expenses in order to determine the offender's profit margin would essentially amount to legitimating criminal activity," the explanation from the court read.
If Vallières fails to pay the fine within a decade, he must serve an additional 6 years behind bars.
The maple syrup heist not only made headlines due to the strange nature of the crime, but also for the impact on the global supply of maple syrup. With Quebec responsible for upwards of 70% of the world’s maple syrup, stock started running low after the robbery.
Multiple people involved with the crime have faced charges in the decade since the heist, including Vallières’s father, Raymond Vallières. He was found fuilty of possession for the purpose of fraud and trafficking. He was sentenced to 2 years of serving the community in addition to 3 years of probation, CTV News confirms.
Sources: CTV News, CBC, USA Today,
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