Sentencing arguments are scheduled to begin at the Montreal courthouse Wednesday in the case where former Montreal mayor Michael Applebaum was recently found guilty on eight corruption-related charges.
Applebaum, 54, was convicted, on Jan. 26, on charges related to how he extorted $60,000 in bribes from developers. Quebec Court Judge Louise Provost found Applebaum guilty of fraud against the government, breach of trust, conspiracy and corruption in municipal affairs. A stay of proceedings was placed on four other charges and Applebaum was found not guilty on two fraud charges. He faces a maximum sentence of five years.
The crimes were committed in 2007, during a time when Applebaum was mayor of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough. He was arrested in June 2013, just seven months after fellow councillors chose him to be Montreal’s interim mayor.
According to court records Applebaum has yet to file an appeal of the judge’s decision to convict. Offenders are allowed a delay of 30 days (when the courts are open) before the deadline to request an appeal expires.
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