A major player in the world of narcotics in Quebec settled several of his cases Tuesday at the Quebec courthouse.
Cédric Duchaine, who headed his network of drug dealers, admitted his participation in a murder committed at the Sainte-Foy Pyramid in October 2021.
Accused of first degree murder, the 28-year-old kingpin pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter for his involvement in the death of Michel Petit. Himself known in police circles for his participation in the sale of drugs, the 37-year-old man was stabbed while talking with Duchaine.
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Michel Petit died after being attacked with a knife.
Photo : Facebook
Duchaine’s alleged accomplice, Éli-Samuel Bazinet, still faces a murder charge. As he awaits trial, several details surrounding Michel Petit’s death are subject to a publication ban.
Profits importants
In the case of Cédric Duchaine, he also admitted to having led a network which sold more than 20 kilos of cocaine per month, bringing him monthly profits of nearly $45,000 just for this drug.
He was already the subject of an investigation at the time Michel Petit was killed. Investigators had been interested in him since June 2020, as part of the MALSAIN project.
The various searches resulted in the recovery of more than 4 kilos of cocaine and several others of cannabis, in addition to a sum of $165,000.
Cédric Duchaine led a flashy lifestyle, flaunting himself with Rolex watches and designer glasses, in addition to spending thousands of dollars per month on the rental of luxury cars, such as Lamborghinis.
Another attempted murder
Duchaine was also targeted by another charge for shots fired in the parking lot of a hardware store in Val-Bélair in March 2020.
As part of the settlement of its cases, the prosecution however withdrew this accusation for which there was a stay of proceedings.
He still has another pending case, since he is accused of attempted murder of a man linked to the Blood Family Mafia (BFM) at the Quebec Detention Center. Maxime Maheux was found bloodied in a cell there last July.
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Maxime Maheux was violently beaten at the Quebec Detention Center in the summer of 2024.
Photo: Facebook / Maxime Maheux
In addition to Duchaine, four fellow inmates face one count of aggravated assault against Maheux, who had been disfigured.
Cédric Duchaine must return before Judge Carl Thibault in February for sentencing in the cases to which he pleaded guilty.
His lawyer, Me Danièle Roy, announced that she had reached an agreement with the prosecution to propose a sentence. Me Jean-Sébastien Lebel and Me Anne-Laurence Brouw represent the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP).
