Sixth man arrested in 2011 murder of Bonanno crime boss in Canada
One of six men arrested in connection with the murder of mafioso Salvatore Montagna will see his charges upgraded to first-degree murder.
The Sûreté du Québec announced Wednesday they rearrested Pietro Magistrale, 61, as part of the same investigation that saw him charged, in December 2011, with 19 counts related to four firearms seized during the investigation into Montagna’s Nov. 24, 2011, murder.
Until now, Magistrale had been the only one among the six arrested in the death not charged with first-degree murder. He was granted bail in March 2012 and was scheduled to have a court date on April 3 at the Joliette courthouse. Now, he is expected to make an appearance at the same courthouse Thursday morning.
According to a release issued by the police, Magistrale was arrested Wednesday morning in Côte-des-Neiges, and his Laval home was searched by investigators armed with a warrant.
The release did not offer an explanation for why the case against Magistrale has changed so dramatically. His lawyer could not be reached for comment.
“Note that following different events that have touched organized crime during the past few years, the Sûreté du Québec, RCMP, as well as their partners, have intensified their efforts to fight against Italian organized crime. This partnership has permitted police to continue to progress in this investigation and to proceed in (Magistrale’s) arrest (Wednesday). Other arrests may follow,” the SQ said in the release.
The first set of charges filed against Magistrale involved firearms seized during the SQ’s investigation into Montagna’s death. The charges included careless storage of a firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm and tampering with serial numbers on a firearm.
Raynald Desjardins, 59, the alleged ringleader of the plot to kill Montagna, who was seeking to assume control over the Mafia in Montreal in 2011, is seeking to be released while his case is pending. Desjardins’s bail hearing is scheduled to resume Thursday.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Magistrale+face+first+degree+murder+Montagna+case/8159316/story.html#ixzz2OsdkJoBE
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