Jurors at Jonathan Massari’s jury trial were treated to a fascinating foray into the world of police undercover agents and criminals who become moles for cops on Monday.
Posted at 5:00 a.m.
Massari, 41, is accused of having plotted the murders of four individuals linked to the Montreal mafia in 2016, namely Lorenzo Giordano, Rocco Sollecito and the brothers Giuseppe and Vincenzo Falduto, and of having killed them on behalf of the Scoppa brothers.
Massari was arrested in the fall of 2019, following a major investigation by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) during which it used a hitman – whose identity we must conceal — who became a civilian undercover agent (ACI) for her.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SÛRETÉ DU QUÉBEC
Jonathan Massari is charged with four counts of premeditated murder and three counts of conspiracy.
This ACI, who himself participated in three of these four murders, reconnected with his accomplices in the summer of 2019 and recorded them without their knowledge, in an attempt to obtain their confessions.
He was accompanied by a double agent of the police (AI, for undercover agent) who posed as a friend and who also concealed a recording device.
Create a friendship
Sûreté du Québec double agent AI 1203, called Luc during the investigation, testified Monday and told jurors that he and the former hitman participated, as of May 2019, in 23 “familiarization” activities , to build credibility, learn to develop a bond, have anecdotes together and develop familiarity,” he explained.
The two men notably went to the cinema and to the restaurant, and played sports together.
We spent a lot of time talking about him, his life, sports, food, all that to be as close as possible to him, even to become a friend. It took me some time to understand his way of speaking, of thinking.
Undercover Agent 1203
They came to a certain complicity, so much so that the waitress of a restaurant, where they went several times, visibly interested in one of them, gave them his telephone number.
The double agent was to play the role of a longtime friend of the contract killer, to be his driver-guide, involved with him in a fictitious cannabis production project.
The 12 labors of the ICA
Between July 4 and September 10, 2019, the two men then took part in 12 undercover scenarios together.
In particular, they simulated a chance meeting with Marie-Josée Viau, at her workplace in Saint-Basile-le-Grand, went to her home and Guy Dion in Saint-Jude, to offer them to get involved in their project. of cannabis, and reconnected with a certain Dominico Scarfo.
In the last scenario, on September 10, 2019, after CREA gave him a key and a magnetic card from a Laval mini-warehouse showing the first name Jonathan on a welcome screen, the double agent led a search in storage room number 1114, where dozens of weapons, ammunition and even explosives were seized.
“I could have refused to do scenarios with the ACI if the familiarization had not been conclusive. If the contact had not gone well, I would have raised my hand and the persons in charge of the investigation, if they had judged that there was no chemistry, would have found someone else. »
“I applied myself to becoming friends with the ACI, to thinking like him, even to speaking a little like him. We played sports together, we had pleasant days. I kept a good collaboration with him, ”continued the AI 1203.
Not a composition role
In cross-examination, Mr.e Philippe Larochelle asked him if, at one time or another, the former hitman turned mole deviated from the mission entrusted to him.
“During the 12 scenarios, I never noticed that the ACI deviated from its mission. In field operations, I realized that he was practically a double agent like me. He was very disciplined and I was even very surprised at his performance. He didn’t need to play a role in a play. It was his life, things he had done. He was playing himself, ”concluded the SQ double agent.
The trial, which is taking place at the Gouin Judicial Services Center and which is presided over by Judge Michel Pennou, of the Superior Court, continues this week.
The lawsuit is represented by Mr.e Marie-Christine Godbout, M.e Isabelle Poulin, M.e Karine Cordeau and M.e Catherine Sheitoyan, Bureau of Serious Crime and Special Affairs.
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