September 24, 2009, Accurso sued journalist Alain Gravel and Société Radio-Canada for invasion of privacy and defaming his reputation; he sought $2.5 million in damages. In November 2009, Accurso admitted that the facts presented in Gravel's report were true. The admission was made public July 15, 2010. In October 2009, Accurso gave $100,000 to fund municipal politician Benoît Labonté's bid when Labonté entered the leadership race for Vision Montréal. Accurso was arrested with 13 others on April 17, 2012, after investigation by the Unité permanente anticorruption on charges relating to an alleged illegal contract-sharing system near the Montreal suburb of Mascouche. Along with four men, Accurso faced six charges of conspiracy, fraud, forgery and breach of trust by a public officer in an attempt to defraud the government of more than $3 million. In September 2014, at the Charbonneau Commission, Accurso's publication ban was rejected by the commission. Accurso denied any links to the Montreal Mafia, but did admit Montreal mob boss Vito Rizzuto was a "minor contact". In February 2018, Accurso was acquitted of the breach of trust charge. On July 5, 2018, Accurso was sentenced to four years in prison after he was found guilty of the five charges: conspiracy to commit acts of corruption, conspiracy to commit fraud, fraud of over $5,000, municipal corruption, and aiding in a breach of trust. Personal life On October 26, 2018, his son James was killed in a traffic accident in the Laurentians. References Businesspeople from Montreal Canadian people of Italian descent Criminals from Montreal Living people 1951 births People convicted of corruption