Michael Applebaum

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Applebaum was arrested by Quebec's anti-corruption unit UPAC at his home on June 17, 2013. He initially faced 14 charges including fraud, conspiracy, breach of trust, and corruption in municipal affairs. Officials said they related to real estate projects between 2006 and 2011 when Applebaum served as borough mayor. [74] Charges were also simultaneously laid against former city councillor Saulie Zajdel and Jean Yves Bisson, a city bureaucrat. [75]

According to an arrest warrant filed in court, Applebaum allegedly engaged in two separate criminal conspiracies, the nature of which officials did not initially disclose. However, Radio-Canada reported that they involve the demolition of a residential building and the construction of condominiums, and link Applebaum to a Laval-based engineering firm central to the municipal corruption testimony being heard at the Charbonneau commission. In addition, Radio-Canada, citing police sources, said the police were investigating a $50,000 payment to Applebaum as well as a $15,000 payment made to Zajdel. [76]

On June 18, 2013, Applebaum announced his resignation as mayor of Montreal, maintaining that the allegations against him were unfounded. [77] He hired Marcel Danis, a criminal lawyer and former member of Parliament, as his defence attorney. [78]

In October 2013, charges against him were widened to encompass ten major real estate transactions between 2002 and 2012 in Côte-des-Neiges. [79] His preliminary hearing was scheduled for June 2015, immediately before Zajdel's trial. [80]

On January 26, 2017, Applebaum was found guilty of eight corruption-related charges. [81] [82] [83]

At the February 15, 2017 sentencing hearing, the prosecution asked for two years of prison out of a possible five. The defence asked for either a suspended sentence or a mixed sentence with probation, community work, or non-consecutive jail time. [84]

On March 30, 2017, Applebaum was sentenced to 12 months in prison and two years of probation. The judge said that Applebaum had committed "very serious" crimes. [85] [86]

Since conviction

On June 6, 2017, Applebaum was granted parole after serving two months or one-sixth of his sentence after admitting to his crimes and expressing remorse for his criminal actions at his parole hearings. He was released on condition that he do 20 hours of community work per week. [87] [88] [89] [90]

In May 2017, the city of Montreal authorized lawyers to take court action to retrieve a $160,000 departure allowance that Applebaum received from the city when he resigned as mayor. [91] [92] In June 2018, changes in provincial regulation has allowed the city to try and retrieve a $108,000 departure bonus paid out to Applebaum as well. [93] In 2020, Quebec Superior Court ruled that Applebaum could keep a total of $268,000 because the new rules went into effect after Applebaum was convicted. [94]

After Applebaum's conviction, the Organisme d’autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec (OACIQ) revoked Applebaum's license to sell real estate in Quebec on April 30, 2017. It rejected Applebaum's application to reinstate the license when he got out on parole. In July 2018, Applebaum appealed the decision in Quebec Court, arguing that his crimes did not involve his real estate practice. [95] Applebaum withdrew the court appeal in October 2018 when the judge refused to delay hearing of the case. [96]

Notes

Electoral record (partial)

Michael Applebaum
Michael-Applebaum-Montreal-Mayor-2009.jpg
42nd Mayor of Montreal
In office
November 16, 2012 June 18, 2013
2009 Montreal municipal election : Borough mayor, Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Union Montreal Michael Applebaum 17,40952.19+4.08
Projet Montréal Carole Dupuis8,67826.01
Vision Montreal Brenda Mae Paris 5,68617.04−9.28
Montréal Ville-Marie Jacqueline Sommereyns1,5864.75
Total valid votes33,35996.86
Total rejected ballots1,0823.14
Turnout34,44136.09
Electors on the lists95,431
Source: Election results, 2009, City of Montreal.
2005 Montreal municipal election : Borough Mayor, Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
PartyCandidateVotes%
Citizens Union Michael Applebaum 14,64648.11
Vision Montreal Sonya Biddle 8,01326.32
Team Jeremy Searle Jeremy Searle 5,94919.54
Independent Alexandre Montagano1,8376.03
Total valid votes30,445
Source: Election results, 1833-2005 (in French), City of Montreal.

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