Hey, You CAN Fool All The People Some Of The Time!
There was universal outrage and generous public support among Mario Plourde's neighbours and the local businesses in Riviere-du-Loup when he was arrested on an obviously faulty charge of drug trafficking the week before Christmas. They knew their man. And besides being a trustworthy man and a good neighbour, he protested his innocence.
Those in the Riviere-du-Loup region rallied to his defence, raising funds to cover the $250,000 bail. Even farmers in the area did their bit, topping up the collection jar at their local co-op so he could pay the expenses related to his defence, his legal fees, for the need to prove his innocence. They could not and would not let a good man like Mr. Plourde fester for want of support.
"It is important for me to thank people for the support and solidarity they have shown toward me. I never would have thought it possible", Mr. Plourde humbly and gratefully avowed. "Collecting $340,000 in loans is no small thing, and then the thousands of dollars of donations. I can't believe it" he told the local newspaper after his release.
The parish priest, tasked with administering a trust fund that the parish had established to pay his legal expenses and to help his wife with her living expenses, left with the two children to struggle to maintain themselves, said about $40,000 had been raised, with roughly $25,000 spent, as required.
The criminal complaints included a purported partner in crime, one Bruno Bendo of Laval. Mr. Bendo was pulled over at a traffic stop when a drug-sniffing dog was brought in because Mr. Bendo was behaving in a suspicious manner, despite that this was a routine event. The search that ensued revealed two suitcases full of Ecstasy tablets in Mr. Bendo's car.
Whereupon Mr. Bendo obligingly led police to a warehouse and trailer, and it was at that location where Mr. Plourde was arrested. The charges levelled against the two was conspiracy to possess marijuana and Ecstasy in quantities sufficient to ensure a large distribution, and hefty pay-off.
The community is now belatedly aware that their trust in the honesty and trustworthiness of their neighbour was sadly misplaced. For their neighbour, Mario Plourde pleaded guilty to two of ten charges brought against him. The shocked community has not yet up-dated the Web site through which they hoped to raise additional funds in his defence.
This highly respected family man, neighbour and all around good citizen, alas, has belied his community's trust in his assertions that he was falsely accused. So what else is new? He is due for sentencing on April 30th.
Those in the Riviere-du-Loup region rallied to his defence, raising funds to cover the $250,000 bail. Even farmers in the area did their bit, topping up the collection jar at their local co-op so he could pay the expenses related to his defence, his legal fees, for the need to prove his innocence. They could not and would not let a good man like Mr. Plourde fester for want of support.
"It is important for me to thank people for the support and solidarity they have shown toward me. I never would have thought it possible", Mr. Plourde humbly and gratefully avowed. "Collecting $340,000 in loans is no small thing, and then the thousands of dollars of donations. I can't believe it" he told the local newspaper after his release.
The parish priest, tasked with administering a trust fund that the parish had established to pay his legal expenses and to help his wife with her living expenses, left with the two children to struggle to maintain themselves, said about $40,000 had been raised, with roughly $25,000 spent, as required.
The criminal complaints included a purported partner in crime, one Bruno Bendo of Laval. Mr. Bendo was pulled over at a traffic stop when a drug-sniffing dog was brought in because Mr. Bendo was behaving in a suspicious manner, despite that this was a routine event. The search that ensued revealed two suitcases full of Ecstasy tablets in Mr. Bendo's car.
Whereupon Mr. Bendo obligingly led police to a warehouse and trailer, and it was at that location where Mr. Plourde was arrested. The charges levelled against the two was conspiracy to possess marijuana and Ecstasy in quantities sufficient to ensure a large distribution, and hefty pay-off.
The community is now belatedly aware that their trust in the honesty and trustworthiness of their neighbour was sadly misplaced. For their neighbour, Mario Plourde pleaded guilty to two of ten charges brought against him. The shocked community has not yet up-dated the Web site through which they hoped to raise additional funds in his defence.
This highly respected family man, neighbour and all around good citizen, alas, has belied his community's trust in his assertions that he was falsely accused. So what else is new? He is due for sentencing on April 30th.
Labels: Human Relations, Social-Cultural Deviations, Whoops
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