Three More Men Plead Guilty at the Shawinigan Courthouse in the Sûreté du Québec’s Illicit Cannabis File, and Daniel Gagné, 67, and Daniel Arseneault, 66, Are Sentenced to Terms Served in the Community While Frankie Thiffeault, 59, Awaits a Pre-Sentence Report, Le Nouvelliste Reports (October 25, 2026)
Three more men have pleaded guilty at the palais de justice de Shawinigan in the Sûreté du Québec’s illicit cannabis file, Le Nouvelliste reported on Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 4:02 a.m. The paper says Frankie Thiffeault, 59, Daniel Gagné, 67, of Montreal, and Daniel Arseneault, 66, of Rogersville, New Brunswick, each entered a guilty plea on Wednesday; that Gagné has been sentenced to two years less a day to be served in the community and Arseneault to 21 months to be served in the community; and that a pre-sentence report has been ordered for Thiffeault, whose sentencing submissions are set for March 11. A fourth man, André Junior Lacombe, pleaded guilty in July to “trafic de cannabis” and “possession de cannabis dans le but de trafic,” the paper says. The pleas arise from a major November 2024 Sûreté du Québec operation in Shawinigan and other Quebec cities.
Legal status: Gagné and Arseneault have pleaded guilty and been sentenced, Thiffeault and André Junior Lacombe have pleaded guilty and await sentencing, and the five other men whose files return to court on January 12 are presumed innocent.
The Three Guilty Pleas
Le Nouvelliste says Thiffeault pleaded guilty on Wednesday to offences committed between January and November 2024. It reports that he made several drug transactions with Sûreté du Québec undercover agents, that a pre-sentence report has been ordered, and that his sentencing submissions are set for March 11. It describes a prior record that includes impaired driving and drug offences, and a federal sentence of four years for “vol qualifié” — robbery.
Gagné and Arseneault both pleaded guilty the same day and both have been sentenced. Le Nouvelliste says neither man had a prior record, describes Gagné as a cannabis courier for “le réseau” — the network — and describes Arseneault as a courier who travelled between Quebec and New Brunswick. Gagné was sentenced to two years less a day to be served in the community; Arseneault to 21 months to be served in the community.
What Was Seized From Each Man
At Thiffeault’s Shawinigan home in November 2024, Le Nouvelliste says police seized one kilogram of hashish “cocottes,” more than one kilogram of hashish, and US$10,000. It says Gagné was arrested in November 2024 during the Sûreté du Québec search and that 13 kilograms of hashish, $63,000 in cash and his car, seized as a “bien infractionnel” or instrument of the offence, were taken. Arseneault, it says, was found with 10 kilograms of hashish.
The Sûreté du Québec File Behind the Pleas
The Sûreté du Québec published a release on February 12, 2025 headed “BILAN DES ARRESTATIONS – PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION ET VENTE DE CANNABIS ILLICITE PAR UNE ORGANISATION.” The force says its Service des enquêtes sur la contrebande, working with the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal, arrested nine men aged 34 to 75 that day, and that they lived in the Mauricie, Estrie, Laurentides and Montréal regions and in Rogersville, New Brunswick. Six firearms were seized.
The warrants, the force says, were issued under the Loi sur le cannabis and the Criminal Code for possession de cannabis illicite, possession de cannabis en vue de distribution, distribution de cannabis illicite, vente de cannabis illicite, recyclage des produits de la criminalité and complot. The release names André Jr Lacombe, 56, of Shawinigan, and Frankie Thiffeault, 57, of Shawinigan-Sud, as the two who appeared at the Shawinigan courthouse and were detained pending a bail hearing on March 14; the other seven were released on a promise to appear on March 5, 2025. The release’s headline describes the activity as carried out “par une organisation”; it does not name an organization.
Who Is Still Before the Court
Le Nouvelliste says Marc-André Giguère, Pierre Grenon, Daniel Lafond, Paul Steich and a man it prints as André Senior Lacombe return to court on January 12, and that sentencing for André Junior Lacombe is also expected that day. Le Nouvelliste does not say what charges those five men face.
What Le Nouvelliste does not state
- The counts: the paper gives charge wording only for André Junior Lacombe — “trafic de cannabis” and “possession de cannabis dans le but de trafic” — and does not list the counts to which Thiffeault, Gagné and Arseneault pleaded guilty.
- The date of the pleas: the paper says the three pleaded guilty on Wednesday and does not give the date.
- The year of the court dates: January 12 and March 11 are printed without a year.
Timeline
- January to November 2024The period of the offences to which Frankie Thiffeault pleaded guilty, Le Nouvelliste reports.
- November 2024A major Sûreté du Québec operation in Shawinigan and other Quebec cities. At Thiffeault’s Shawinigan home, one kilogram of hashish “cocottes,” more than one kilogram of hashish and US$10,000 are seized. Le Nouvelliste says Gagné was arrested during the search and that 13 kilograms of hashish, $63,000 and his car were seized.
- February 12, 2025The Sûreté du Québec publishes its “bilan des arrestations,” saying nine men aged 34 to 75 were arrested that day and six firearms seized, and naming André Jr Lacombe, 56, and Frankie Thiffeault, 57, as detained pending a bail hearing.
- March 5 and March 14, 2025The dates the force gives for the other seven accused to appear, and for the Lacombe and Thiffeault bail hearing.
- JulyAndré Junior Lacombe pleads guilty to “trafic de cannabis” and “possession de cannabis dans le but de trafic,” Le Nouvelliste reports.
- WednesdayThiffeault, Gagné and Arseneault plead guilty at the palais de justice de Shawinigan. Gagné is sentenced to two years less a day in the community and Arseneault to 21 months in the community.
- January 12Marc-André Giguère, Pierre Grenon, Daniel Lafond, Paul Steich and André Senior Lacombe return to court; sentencing for André Junior Lacombe is also expected.
- March 11Sentencing submissions for Thiffeault.
- Sunday, October 25, 2026, 4:02 a.m.Le Nouvelliste publishes “Trafic de cannabis: trois autres accusés plaident coupables.”
Officers of its Service des enquêtes sur la contrebande made the February 12, 2025 arrests, the force says. Le Nouvelliste says undercover Sûreté du Québec agents made several transactions with Thiffeault.
Worked with the Sûreté du Québec contraband investigation service, according to the force’s release.
Where the three guilty pleas were entered and where the two sentences were imposed.
Related Files
Sources
- Le Nouvelliste, “Trafic de cannabis: trois autres accusés plaident coupables,” October 25, 2026 at 4:02 a.m., by Martin Lafrenière — for the pleas, the sentences and the seizures — lenouvelliste.ca
- Sûreté du Québec, “BILAN DES ARRESTATIONS – PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION ET VENTE DE CANNABIS ILLICITE PAR UNE ORGANISATION,” February 12, 2025 — for the arrests, the units and the warrant charges — sq.gouv.qc.ca
The accused who have not pleaded guilty are presumed innocent, and the allegations against them have not been tested in court. The allegations are those of the Sûreté du Québec, as published in its February 12, 2025 release and reported by Le Nouvelliste. No gang or criminal organization has been named in connection with this case.
