Latest news with #Rizzuto
Montreal Gazette
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Opinion: Automatic release must be reformed for cases involving organized crime
Op Eds Montreal is in the middle of a quiet war. On one side, law enforcement scores rare wins like the June 12 arrests of alleged Mafia leaders including Leonardo Rizzuto and Stefano Sollecito in a sweeping police operation across Quebec. On the other, violence keeps erupting in incidents such as the fatal shooting of a man in a Brossard park on July 2, which Longueuil police said may have been gang-related. The problem isn't that police aren't doing their job. It's that the law keeps handing criminal networks a second life. Take Nicola Spagnolo. An alleged associate of the Rizzuto clan, he was serving time for a 2020 stabbing. He had been turned down for parole due in part to affiliations with organized crime denied by Spagnolo but noted by Correctional Service Canada (CSC). And yet, under Section 127 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA), he automatically qualified for release after serving two-thirds of his sentence — until he was arrested in June as a murder suspect in the same case as Rizzuto and Sollecito, while he was still behind bars. If no new charges had been filed, he would have walked free. This is not a flaw. It is a design failure. The CCRA's statutory release mechanism was built on ideals of rehabilitation and reintegration. But in cases involving links to organized crime, those ideals are being exploited. CSC's assessments flagged Spagnolo as 'an active member of a security threat group or organized crime.' Yet legally, that status wasn't enough to deny his release — because in Canada, an assessment of affiliation with organized crime alone does not qualify as a sufficient reason to override statutory release. This must change. Parliament should amend Section 127 to create an exception to automatic release for individuals with links to organized crime. This exception should not be based on subjective suspicion, but on clear CSC assessments, intelligence, and behavioural records while in custody. This is about protecting the public, not punishing indefinitely. In addition, Canada should implement a national threat profile registry, which would classify inmates based on their operational risk rather than just their criminal record. This registry would allow authorities to consider gang membership, leadership roles and persistent criminal associations in evaluating release eligibility. Similar models are already used in certain situations in jurisdictions like Germany and the Netherlands. Moreover, release should not mean freedom without oversight. Canada's statutory-release system does permit curfews, halfway-house residency and other conditions, yet safeguards are limited when release itself is mandatory. For individuals flagged under the proposed registry, electronic monitoring, communication bans and mandatory reintegration plans would be imposed for at least the duration of the original sentence. Reintegration isn't passive — it requires structured conditions and accountability. Provincial prosecutors should also be empowered to contest statutory releases when public safety is at stake. Currently, their involvement in release procedures is minimal, yet they are the most familiar with the real-life consequences of letting violent gang members return to the same neighbourhoods they helped destabilize. Beyond legal reform, there's a societal dimension. Communities affected by violence are not just crime scenes — they are often left to pay the price for legal leniency. Residents lose faith in public institutions when the same names cycle through headlines and courtrooms year after year. Fighting organized crime must include breaking the cycle of predictable impunity. Montreal cannot afford to wage war on organized crime with laws that seem designed for first-time offenders. This is not about being tough on crime — it's about being smart on structural threats. Organized criminal networks exploit every loophole available. It is time the law stopped helping them. We need sentencing legislation that reflects the complexity of modern criminal networks, prioritizes sustained community protection and restores trust in the justice system. For that to happen, automatic release for documented members of organized crime must end. Anything less is an invitation to repeat the same cycle, with more victims next time.
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Time of India
Mafia prince turned lawyer Leonardo Rizzuto arrested in massive Quebec crime raid, bar suspends licence
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Barreau du Québec has provisionally suspended the law license of prominent lawyer Leonardo Rizzuto , effective July 2, following his arrest in a sweeping police operation targeting organized 56, was licensed in 1999 and practiced in Montreal and Laval. He is the youngest son of the late Vito Rizzuto, once Montreal's most powerful Mafia boss, and is believed to currently lead the infamous Rizzuto crime family About 150 officers from the Montreal Police (SPVM) and the Sûreté du Québec executed coordinated raids in cities across Quebec as part of "Project Alliance," a three-year investigation into organized crime. The operation led to 11 arrests of men aged 27–57 with alleged ties to the Italian Mafia, the Hells Angels, and street and six others were charged with first-degree murder in the 2011 killing of alleged Montreal Mafia member Lorenzo Lopresti . All 11 suspects are accused of involvement in multiple murders or attempted murders between 2011 and 2021, either as perpetrators or Article 122.0.1 of Quebec's Code of Professions, any lawyer charged with offenses carrying sentences of five years or more must face licence suspension to protect public trust. The Barreau's disciplinary council acted swiftly after Rizzuto was charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. While the suspension is temporary, it bars him from practicing law or using the title "lawyer" during criminal carries a heavy name; his father, Vito 'Teflon Don' Rizzuto, once led Canada's most powerful Mafia network until he died in 2013. The Rizzuto lineage dates back to Nicolo Rizzuto, who in the 1970s seized Montreal's Sicilian Mafia leadership amid violent turf a press conference, SQ Chief Insp. Marc Charbonneau called the arrests a 'major blow… one of the most significant operations in recent decades'. Deputy director Benoit Dubé emphasized how the probe provided closure for victims' families:'Every act of violence … police joined together … to give some answers back to the families.'Retired detective André Gélinas described Rizzuto's arrest as symbolic, effectively decapitating the Rizzuto family's leadership.
Global News
05-07-2025
- Global News
Quebec bar suspends law licence of alleged Mafia leader Leonardo Rizzuto
Quebec's bar association has suspended the lawyer's licence of Leonardo Rizzuto, who was one of 11 people arrested last month in a police operation targeting organized crime. The Barreau du Québec announced this week that it had provisionally suspended Rizzuto's licence as of July 2. The 56-year-old is the son of the late crime boss Vito Rizzuto and the presumed head of one of Canada's most notorious crime families. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy He and six other men have been charged with first-degree murder in the 2011 killing of alleged Montreal Mafia member Lorenzo Lopresti. The joint police operation last month by Montreal and Quebec provincial police led to the arrest of 11 men between 27 and 57 years old, who police allege are associated with the Mafia, the Hells Angels and street gangs. Story continues below advertisement The suspects allegedly participated in several murders and attempted murders between 2011 and 2021. The suspension said Rizzuto, who obtained his licence in 1999, had practised law in Montreal and Laval.
Toronto Sun
05-07-2025
- Toronto Sun
Quebec bar suspends law licence of alleged Mafia leader Leonardo Rizzuto
Published Jul 05, 2025 • Last updated 0 minutes ago • 1 minute read Leonardo Rizzuto arrives at the Montreal courthouse in 2019. Allen McInnis/Montreal Gazette MONTREAL — Quebec's bar association has suspended the lawyer's licence of Leonardo Rizzuto, who was one of 11 people arrested last month in a police operation targeting organized crime. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The Barreau du Quebec announced this week that it had provisionally suspended Rizzuto's licence as of July 2. The 56-year-old is the son of the late crime boss Vito Rizzuto and the presumed head of one of Canada's most notorious crime families. He and six other men have been charged with first-degree murder in the 2011 killing of alleged Montreal Mafia member Lorenzo Lopresti. The joint police operation last month by Montreal and Quebec provincial police led to the arrest of 11 men between 27 and 57 years old, who police allege are associated with the Mafia, the Hells Angels and street gangs. The suspects allegedly participated in several murders and attempted murders between 2011 and 2021. The suspension said Rizzuto, who obtained his licence in 1999, had practised law in Montreal and Laval. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Crime Toronto Blue Jays Canada Other Sports Editorials
Montreal Gazette
04-07-2025
- Montreal Gazette
Alleged Montreal Mafia leader Leonardo Rizzuto's law license suspended by Quebec bar
By Weeks after the Rizzuto organization was hit by a major police investigation, the alleged leader of the Montreal Mafia has been suspended from practicing law. On July 2, the Barreau du Québec, the regulatory body for Quebec lawyers, ordered the immediate suspension of Rizzuto's legal license. He is accused of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, which are grounds for suspension under the Professional Code of Quebec. Under Article 122.0.1, if a professional is accused of a crime that could lead to five years or more in prison, and it is believed the charges are linked to their professional work, authorities can request the disciplinary council to suspend their license while the case is being reviewed.
