Several inmates with alleged connections to the Montreal Mafia have been transferred from the Rivière-des-Prairies Detention Centre following a shooting incident that occurred near the facility over the weekend, according to court proceedings.
Weekend Shooting Prompts Security Response
The incident unfolded on Saturday afternoon when gunshots were fired in the vicinity of the detention centre. Sources indicate that some of the men charged in Project Alliance were outdoors in one of the prison yards at the time of the shooting. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among inmates or staff.
Montreal police later confirmed they had recovered a firearm and spent shell casings near the jail, launching an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Ongoing Legal Proceedings in Major Organized Crime Case
The security concerns emerged amid ongoing legal proceedings for the sixteen men facing charges in Project Alliance, a major organized crime investigation based on evidence from hit man Frédérick Silva. The case involves some of the most significant organized crime figures in Montreal.
During a routine case management hearing at the Gouin courthouse on Tuesday, defence lawyer Debora De Thomasis referenced the transfers while representing two of the accused: Davide Barberio, 46, alleged to be a street boss in the Montreal Mafia, and Daniele Guarna, 45.
De Thomasis indicated that the question of transferring her clients had become "moot," suggesting they were among those moved following the security incident. However, she raised concerns about their access to evidence, noting that while their laptops containing Project Alliance evidence had been transferred to the Montreal Detention Centre (Bordeaux), the inmates currently lacked access to this crucial material.
Transfer Requests and Security Considerations
The shooting incident occurred after several Project Alliance defendants, including alleged leader Leonardo Rizzuto, 56, had filed motions requesting transfers from Rivière-des-Prairies to the Montreal Detention Centre. The defence had argued that such transfers made practical sense since the Bordeaux facility is located much closer to the Gouin courthouse where their cases are being heard.
The Gouin courthouse, specifically designed in the early 2000s for organized crime megatrials, was built to accommodate secure transfers from the Montreal Detention Centre. In contrast, transporting inmates from Rivière-des-Prairies requires a 25-kilometre journey through Montreal streets.
Not all Project Alliance defendants were transferred following the shooting. Stefano Sollecito, 58, another alleged leader of the Montreal Mafia, remained at Rivière-des-Prairies and appeared via video conference during Tuesday's hearing. Sollecito, who requires a wheelchair, reportedly has at least two nurses assigned to assist him at the RDP facility.
The Project Alliance case involves serious charges, with Rizzuto and Sollecito facing allegations of conspiring to kill eight organized crime figures between 2011 and 2019. Both men are also charged with the first-degree murder of Lorenzo LoPresti in St-Laurent on October 24, 2011.
During Tuesday's hearing, Superior Court Justice Yvan Poulin addressed various pretrial issues, including evidence disclosure and the possibility of a bilingual trial. The judge acknowledged receiving a motion "for protection" but noted he had not yet reviewed it thoroughly.
Lawyers involved in the case mentioned the possibility of future proceedings being divided into four separate trials, reflecting the complexity of the Project Alliance investigation that has yet to see all sixteen accused individuals arrested.
