Montreal man sentenced to 30 months in prison for defrauding health system of $310,000

Michel Nicol Lavoie was sentenced Tuesday to 30 months in prison for defrauding the CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal of approximately $310,000.

Lavoie diverted public health funds through his personal bank accounts, making withdrawals for his own benefit and the benefit of third parties. The fraud occurred over two separate periods: June 15 to July 4, 2017, and April 1 to April 19, 2018.

The sentencing took place at the palais de justice de Montréal. Judge Thi Trang Dai Nguyen said that "fraud committed against a public health establishment cannot be trivialized on the basis that losses are assumed by the state. Public funds belong to the community and must be used for their intended purposes."

Lavoie was also ordered to repay $135,671.88 within five years of release. If he fails to pay, an additional 24 months of detention will be added to his sentence. The investigation was conducted by the Commissaire à la lutte contre la corruption in collaboration with Revenu Québec's permanent anti-corruption unit. In December 2025, Lavoie was convicted of tax violations and ordered to pay fines totalling more than $39,000. The same investigation led to three other convictions for fraud in 2023.