On June 10, 2011, the Competition Bureau announced that two more individuals have pleaded guilty in the ongoing Quebec gasoline price-fixing case to fix the price of gasoline at the pump in Thetford Mines, Quebec.
In making the announcement, the Bureau said:
“The two individuals, Claude Bédard and Stéphane Grant, former Irving employees, were sentenced to personally pay fines of $15,000 and $10,000, respectively. Messrs. Bédard and Grant were both area sales managers for ‘Les Pétroles Irving Inc.’ responsible for the Thetford Mines market.”
In this case, which was one of the largest criminal cases in the Bureau’s history, charges were laid against 38 individuals and 14 companies accused of fixing the price of gasoline at the pumps at several locations in Quebec. According to the Bureau, to date 6 companies and 13 individuals have pleaded guilty in the case.
The case is also somewhat noteworthy in that six individuals have been sentenced to total imprisonment of 54 months (served in the community). While the penalties for contravening the criminal conspiracy provisions of the Competition Act include imprisonment for up to fourteen years, prison sentences for individuals have been, at least to date, relatively rare in Canada with liability in many cases being negotiated down to corporate liability and fines.
For the Bureau’s news release see:
Two Individuals Plead Guilty in Quebec Gasoline Price-Fixing Cartel
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