An entrepreneur close to major players in organized crime was shot dead in a Laval restaurant on Wednesday evening, which made specialized investigators fear an increase in tensions within the underworld, learned The Press.
Updated yesterday at 9:52 p.m.
“Around 7:25 p.m., we received a call for gunshots in a restaurant on boulevard des Laurentides. A 42-year-old man was transferred to the hospital center, ”explained Geneviève Major, spokesperson for the Laval police. The man later died in hospital, police confirmed.
The event took place at the Vietnamese Pearl restaurant and several sources have confirmed to The Press that the victim is Bernard Cherfan, an entrepreneur who would have maintained links with members of organized crime, including Stefano Sollecito, considered until recently as the leader of the Sicilian clan of the mafia in Montreal.
During the trial of hitman Frédérick Silva, an investigator came to tell the court how the police suspected him of hiding with Bernard Cherfan during his run.
PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK
Bernard Cherfan has owned several businesses over the years.
Bernard Cherfan once owned companies that claimed to be active in the construction and real estate industry, advertising and cellular devices. According to a source familiar with his activities, he provided several people with encrypted communications devices that could be used to thwart the surveillance of the authorities.
Another relative of Frédérick Silva, Sébastien Giroux, 36, was shot and killed in Montreal on May 11. He had pleaded guilty to accessory to murder after the fact and was awaiting sentencing to enter the penitentiary.
Specialized investigators are concerned that these recent events may be the symptom of a conflict in the making between different factions of organized crime in the greater Montreal area, according to our sources.
The Laval police have also transferred responsibility for the investigation to the Sûreté du Québec as part of the CENTAURE strategy to combat armed violence. “The investigation quickly made it possible to make a link with organized crime and we are now collaborating with the Sûreté du Québec in this case,” says Ms.me Major.