Man who protected Mob boss in shootout gets day parole
The man who was acting as a bodyguard to Mob boss Raynald Desjardins when an attempt was made on his life in Laval seven years ago has been granted day parole on the sentence he is serving for his role in the reckless exchange of gunfire with the hitman.
Jonathan Mignacca, 33, appeared before the Parole Board of Canada this week at a penitentiary in Laval where he convinced two board members that he has significantly changed his life.
In September 2011, Desjardins, a leader in the Montreal Mafia, was involved in a high-stakes conflict with Salvatore Montagna over who should control certain rackets in the city. On the morning of the shooting, Desjardins and Mignacca’s cars were parked near Lévesque Blvd. in Laval, in a way that allowed them to talk to each other while still in their vehicles. A hitman emerged from a nearby wooded area and opened fire on both vehicles using an AK-47.
Mignacca discharged a Glock pistol in reply, while Desjardins fled. The hitman disappeared, apparently by escaping via the Rivières-des-Prairies using a personal watercraft. The watercraft was found abandoned and burned on the Montreal side of the river. One of the bullets fired during the exchange struck a Laval city bus that happened to be passing by.
In 2015, Mignacca was found guilty of discharging a firearm with intent to injure someone in a way that endangered the lives of other people; possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose; unauthorized possession of a firearm; careless use of a firearm; and possession of a prohibited or restricted and loaded firearm. By the time he was sentenced, he was left with a prison term of six years and seven months.
“Your case management team (the people who prepare an offender for a release) cannot ignore the gravity of the current offences considering the dangerousness of your actions, the numerous potential victims and consequences, as well as the weapons used, the circumstances surrounding the current crimes and your involvement in a major criminal organization,” the parole board noted in its written summary of the decision to release Mignacca to a halfway house.
“Despite these somewhat serious points, your CMT takes into consideration the personal progress you have made since you were incarcerated and that you have achieved the objectives identified in your correctional plan.
“From your file and the hearing, it is clear you rapidly took steps to turn your life around. (While out on bail before your trial) you started to reflect on the consequences of your actions for your family, the (potential) victims, society and yourself.”
Mignacca outlined plans that include taking a course and proof that he has a job waiting for him.
His release comes with a few conditions, including one that forbids him from hanging out in “Italian cafés,” namely the type of places that are solely used as hangouts for organized crime figures. According to the summary, Mignacca “fully understand(s) what is meant by Italian cafés.”
Desjardins was under investigation for drug trafficking at the time of the failed attempt on his life. Because of this, the RCMP had access to messages he was sending via BlackBerrys and they revealed he suspected Montagna was behind it. Two months later, Montagna was killed after being lured to the home of Jack Simpson, a longtime associate of Desjardins. In December 2016, Desjardins pleaded guilty to plotting to kill Montagna and was sentenced to a 14-year prison term.