Coderre’s son pleads guilty to fraud linked to web chats

The son of Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges against him in a case alleging he filed false accusations to police after taking on heavy debts over the internet.

Appearing before a Quebec Court judge at the Montreal courthouse, Alexandre Coderre, 21, pleaded guilty to filing a false police report and four counts of fraud while admitting he defrauded two banks out of more than $16,000 during a 20-month period in 2015 and 2016.

While summarizing the case for Judge Sylvie Durand, prosecutor Fannie Turcot said Coderre amassed large bills for “internet services” and paid for those services using credit cards. He would later call the banks tied to the credit cards and claimed he never purchased the services. He then lied to Montreal police detectives by claiming he was the victim of identity theft. Turcot did not say what type of services Coderre purchased. She also refused to comment on them to reporters after Coderre pleaded guilty.

Defence lawyer Conrad Lord described the purchases as “chats,” but would not elaborate further. While requesting a delay before a sentence hearing is held, Lord said his client is undergoing psychotherapy to be treated for an addiction to the internet services he paid for.

“He admitted his guilt and did not slow down the justice system. He entered the plea within a reasonable delay,” Lord later told reporters. “You have to understand we’re talking about the cyberdependency of a young man. He is a young man who, like many young men and young women, lost control of his purchases on the internet to a point where he was not able to face his responsibilities.”

Lord said Coderre lives with his parents, is currently studying but also has a part-time job in a grocery store and plans to pay back the money he owes. The attorney declined to elaborate on what type of sentence he will request, but noted that Coderre is eligible for a discharge based on the charges he pleaded guilty to.

The Crown agreed to modify the charges on Tuesday to allow Coderre to plead guilty to committing four acts of fraud worth less than $5,000. He was originally charged with committing two acts of fraud worth more than $5,000. The change meant Coderre pleaded guilty to charges punishable by summary conviction, which opens the door to a possible discharge when he is sentenced.

Besides the fraud charges, Coderre pleaded guilty to public mischief for misleading Montreal police detectives by accusing “another person” of having defrauded him out of more than $5,000 during an investigation between Jan. 20, 2016 and Feb. 22, 2017.

Another charge alleged that Coderre tried to obstruct justice by attempting to hide information in his cellphone. That charge and another were placed under a stay of proceedings on Tuesday.

Denis Coderre ended up having to testify about what happened with his son during the Chamberland Commission, an inquiry into how journalists were spied on by police. During the inquiry, Montreal police Chief Philippe Pichet said the only time an elected official ever called him to inquire about a personal matter was when Denis Coderre phoned and said his son was the victim of identity theft. Pichet said he simply told the mayor who he should contact to report the crime.

Alexandre Coderre was accompanied by his mother for the brief court hearing on Tuesday. Lord said he expects that both parents will be present for Coderre’s sentence hearing in December.

“The father wants to be there to accompany his son,” Lord said. “It is an important moment when a son has a sentence imposed on him and the father won’t hide from his obligations.”