One of the investigators of Project Lovaganza, a scheme to extract millions of dollars for a so-called Hollywood production that never saw the light of day, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Marc-Éric Fortin was thus sentenced to 18 months in prison as well as a fine of more than $50,000 for violations of the laws governing investments in Quebec, on October 11 at the Longueuil courthouse.
His partner and co-accused in this case, Karine Lamarre, died last August, before his sentence was announced.
A major cinematographic project
According to the investigation by the Financial Markets Authority (AMF), launched in 2014, the couple would have solicited investors for the Lovaganza project which was to be a large-scale film production and used to finance humanitarian projects.
They would have raised millions of dollars from hundreds of investors who were cheated.
Marc-Éric Fortin and Karine Lamarre pleaded guilty in April 2018 to 79 charges.
The judgment of October 11, 2024 comes more than six years after the recognition of their guilt in the accusations brought against them by the AMF, due in particular to their actions which “caused the procedures to continue for years”, as mentioned in the decision. .
In its decision, the Court wrote in particular that “there is still not, to this day, the beginning of the shadow of a film […]. The investors saw nothing concrete in the realization of this project which was to prove grandiose. Nor have they seen the beginning of a reimbursement.
“They have managed, over the years, to fool all the investors with beautiful words, beautiful promises, which however remained a dead letter while they, like Gagnon and Cloutier, led a dream life with the money invested by them. Nothing concrete has ever been presented to investors and, to this day, they are still waiting for a return on their investments,” we can also read.
Remember that two other individuals linked to the Lovaganza project, Jean-François Gagnon and Geneviève Cloutier, pleaded guilty to charges brought by the AMF for having illegally made investments with the public. The court imposed fines totaling $600,000 on them in April 2024.
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