A man lies about his identity even in prison

Frederique Giguere

Thursday, 8 march, 2018 01:00

UPDATE
Thursday, 8 march, 2018 01:00

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A criminal age of 55, who had usurped the identity of someone else for the past two years, would have succeeded in short-changing the whole system, even going so far as to begin serving a prison sentence under a false name.

The history of Claude Létourneau is to say the least, chaotic. It is sadly well-known to the public in 2012, when he was arrested for having hidden the syringes in clothing sold by shops of Sherbrooke.

Photo courtesy

Claude Létourneau

Accused

He had then been punished with a sentence of four years in prison after being convicted of his crimes.

Then, in march 2015, Létourneau has benefited from a release of office. About a year later, he would usurp the identity of one of its knowledge.

For two years, he would have been able to make the pass to Andre Martel, a Montreal two years her elder who also has a criminal past.

In circumstances that remain unclear, Létourneau would even produce actual identity cards, including a driver’s license, with her real face, but by using the name of André Martel.

The latter has filed a complaint in the summer of 2016 for identity theft, but investigators had at that time failed to go back to Letourneau.

Theft of jewellery

Last month, the fifty-year-old was arrested soon after presumably stealing gold chains worth 1200 $ to bijouterie Doucet in the hub of the North, to Saint-Jérôme.

He also allegedly threatened customers who were trying to stop it with an Exacto. Handcuffs, Letourneau would have continued to pretend that he was Andrew Martel in front of the officers who questioned him.

The accused would have grown his deceit to an exceptional level, up to plead guilty to charges of theft in front of a judge, to receive his sentence and begin the purge. All this under a false identity.

Pot aux roses

Two weeks later, the results of the fingerprints collected at the beginning of the court proceedings have been forwarded to the police of Saint-Jérôme. As the DNA of Letourneau was already in the system for his previous crimes, his subterfuge alleged has ended at this time.

The real Claude Létourneau is now facing charges of robbery, possession of a weapon to commit a crime, obstruction of justice and identity fraud.

He must return to the court today to undergo his investigation on release.

As for the real-André Martel, he will have to engage in a series of administrative procedures in order to dissociate himself from the robbery at the jewelry store.

– With the collaboration of Christian Plouffe