Lino Zambito pleads guilty to fraud, conspiracy

One of the star witnesses at the province's corruption commission hearings, Lino Zambito, has pleaded guilty to several charges including fraud andconspiracy stemming from a cash for contracts scheme involving the former mayor of Boisbriand.

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The former vice-president of the construction firm Infrabecwas accused of making illegal donations to the former mayor's party. He pleaded guilty today in a St-Jerme courtroom to six charges:

• conspiracy to commit breach of trust
• municipal corruption
• fraud over $5,000
• conspiracy to commit fraud over $5,000
• intimidation
• fraud

GiuseppeZambito, LinoZambito's father, was originally charged with fraud over $5,000, but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of intimidation.

Both werearrested as part ofOpration Marteau in 2011, the first majorpolice operation targeting corruption and collusion.

The mayor of Boisbriand,SylvieSt-Jean, and engineers with the engineering-consultingfirm Roche andBPR-Triax, were also arrested.

A year later, LinoZambitodecided to work with investigators. Over several days, he explained to the Charbonneau commission how a cartel of companies split up contracts in Montreal and Laval.

He revealed that businessmenwere paying kickbacks to municipal parties in power and payinga percentage of their earnings to the Mafia.

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The crimes LinoZambitopleaded guilty to could earn him jailtime,but his collaboration with the judicial system and his franktestimony has many anticipating a lenientsentence.

St-Jean, who pleaded guilty in 2014, was sentenced to two years less a day and was allowed to serve her time in the community.

Lino Zambito is the first entrepreneur toenter a guilty plea.