![]() | Benoît Roberge, 53, was granted his release following a hearing held on Monday before the Parole Board of Canada. Roberge pleaded guilty on March 13, 2014, to participating in or contributing to the activities of a criminal organization and to committing a breach of trust as a police officer. He was sentenced to an overall prison term of eight years. On the date he was sentenced, on April 4, 2014, he had seven years and three months left to serve on the sentence. | ![]() |
![]() Benoît Roberge | At the time of his escape, Charlebois was serving a life sentence for having murdered a police informant in 2000. 10 recorded conversations proved Roberge had been selling police intelligence to Charlebois. Much of the information touched on three separate drug-trafficking investigations involving members of the Hells Angels that were ongoing at the time. The recordings contained phone conversations between René Charlebois and Roberge. | ![]() Hells Angel René Charlebois |
![]() Hells Angel Salvatore Cazzetta | Some reveal how Charlebois and another top-ranking member of the Hells Angels, Salvatore Cazzetta, arranged to pay Roberge. In one instance, Charlebois explains to Roberge how he will pay him $100,000. “We’ll do it like we did the last time: leave your car on the side, and leave the doors unlocked. We’ll put the money on your backseat. You’ll pick it up later,” Charlebois said on the tape. Charlebois was a member of the elite “Nomad” group of Hells Angels and very close to Hells Angel leader Maurice “Mom” Boucher. | ![]() Salvatore Cazzetta |
![]() Benoît Roberge | Roberge played a key role in putting many leaders of the Hells Angels behind bars, before retiring from the police force to work for Revenue Quebec. His arrest prompted the Montreal police force to launch an internal investigation to determine if other officers might be implicated. Roberge's lawyer said at the time the sentence sends a strong message to police informers that their security won't be compromised. Benoît Roberge spent a grand total of 27 months in custody of his 8 year sentence. The message sent is far from a strong one. | ![]() Maurice “Mom” Boucher |