Fires among competitors: 5 years in prison and $1.5M fine for the ex-president of Sutton Quebec

The multimillionaire and co-founder of Sutton Quebec who admitted to having ordered a series of arson attacks on the offices of his former business partners since 2017 has been sentenced to five years in prison… in addition to having to repay $1.5M to the victims.

Christophe José Folla, a prominent figure in real estate brokerage in Quebec, admitted Wednesday afternoon at the Saint-Jérôme courthouse to having sponsored several arson attacks against competitors since 2017.

In total, Christophe Jose Folla spent several tens of thousands of dollars to light eight braziers.

Losses are estimated at nearly $6M. The Promutuel insurance company has already obtained an amount of $2M from Folla.

The founder of Sutton Quebec, who no longer has any ties to the company, was ordered on Wednesday to pay an additional $1.5 million directly to the victims within three years. If he fails to do so, he could be sentenced to another five years in prison.

This is a provision of the criminal code that is “very very rare” in this type of case, underlined Judge Michel Bellehumour, endorsing the common suggestion.

Treason

Folla began awarding arson contracts shortly after François Léger and Christian Bouvrette, former business partners, broke away from him to found Royal LePage Humania in the Laurentians.

Between 2017 and 2022, their offices in Saint-Sauveur and Sainte-Thérèse were targeted by arson seven times (see list).

Folla, 71, wanted “revenge for the betrayal he says he suffered,” he admitted.

He wanted to hit the most valuable buildings in order to hit where it hurts the most, it was revealed during his release investigation.

It was then mentioned that Royal LePage Humania now had to pay $20,000 per month to ensure the security of their buildings.

By mistake

Another fire was even lit by mistake in the offices of the RE/MAX Bonjour real estate agency in Saint-Sauveur.

“It’s going to muddy the waters, it doesn’t matter, it’s competition,” Folla would then have indicated, according to what the Crown had mentioned earlier in the legal proceedings.

Property manager André Chesnay, co-owner of the building, immediately believed that “it was 100% Folla” who was hiding behind this fire.

“Mr. Folla will never stop if no one stops her. If you rebuild the building, it will burn again,” Mr. Chesnay told his business partners when selling his shares. He only found out later that it was a “bizarre mistake”.

Agent civil d’infiltration

Christophe Jose Folla also continued his quest to burn down the offices of his competitors in 2023, after the death of Mr. Léger.

But he did not know that an undercover civilian agent was participating in the case and that it was being recorded without his knowledge. He was finally arrested last January.

The successful businessman, whose fortune is estimated at more than $50 million, was able to be released a week after his appearance in exchange for a guarantee of $400,000, one of the largest sums ever demanded in such circumstances.

However, the Crown appealed the decision and Folla has been behind bars since last March. Due to pre-trial detention, he has less than four years left to serve.

With Erika Aubin

Fire #1

Royal LePage Humania in Saint-Sauveur, December 6, 2017

• Head office of the Humania group, this is where the accounts of the eight other offices are kept.
• Damage estimated at $54,736

Fire #2

Royal LePage Humania in Saint-Sauveur, December 25, 2018

• The building is a total loss after this second fire targeting the same building.
• Damage estimated at $1,945,805

Fire #3

Royal LePage Humania, in Sainte-Thérèse, January 24, 2019

• Damage estimated at $854,183

Fire #4

RE/MAX Bonjour branch in Saint-Sauveur, February 26, 2021

• The building was set on fire by mistake and is a total loss.
• Damage estimated at $2,500,000

Fire #5

Royal LePage Humania in Saint-Sauveur, June 6, 2021

• This is the third fire targeting this building. Surveillance cameras made it possible to quickly identify three suspects.
• Damage estimated at $161,708

Fire #6

Royal LePage Humania in Saint-Sauveur, November 14, 2022

• Three suspects light a brazier under the building's air conditioning module.
• Damage estimated at $50,000

Fires #7 and 8

Royal LePage Humania, in Sainte-Thérèse, November 14 and 15, 2022

• The arsonists returned the next day after the first incendiary outbreak did little damage on November 14. They then used a Molotov cocktail which they threw inside the building.
• Damage estimated at more than $500,000
• Three individuals are arrested in Saint-Sauveur after targeting the Sainte-Thérèses branch. They were still in possession of a Molotov cocktail.