Quebec man tells judge he set off homemade explosives for social media fame, money
CBC
A man from the Quebec City area will be sentenced on Friday for negligent use of explosives after admitting that he performed the stunts to boost his views on social media in order to make money.
Dominic Pelletier, 43, was arrested back in February at his home in Stoneham, Que., following a police investigation into videos on Facebook and TikTok showing him creating increasingly large explosions by blowing up various objects.
Quebec provincial police searched Pelletier's home and seized pipe bombs, propane tanks, burned aerosol cans, as well as ammunition.
Pelletier has now pleaded guilty, explaining that he was unemployed at the time and was trying to get online attention so he could monetize the videos.
The prosecution and defence lawyers proposed a one-year community sentence for Pelletier, leaving Judge Steve Magnan puzzled.
"How old are you?" Magnan asked, despite knowing the answer. The judge remarked that the notion of making money this way would have been inexplicable for an 18-year-old, "but at 43," he said, leaving the thought unfinished.
Magnan told the defendant that what he did potentially endangered his life and those of others.
"I was reckless," Pelletier admitted, who is now working full time and asserts that he has taken control of his life.
Magnan noted that one of the requirements for allowing someone to serve their sentence in the community is to ensure they do not pose a threat to society.
After hearing the proposal negotiated between the prosecution and defence lawyers, the judge decided to take the case under advisement.
Magnan will announce on Friday whether or not Pelletier will be allowed to serve his sentence in the community.
Winter can be tough to bear. Even more so if you’re homeless.
Two future national First Nations leaders, a deputy premier and a city councillor are among the prominent Manitobans who appear in declassified intelligence files from years of RCMP spying on the Indigenous rights movement in the Cold War era.
Saskatoon city hall administration is planning to "refresh" the funding strategy for the proposed $1.2-billion downtown arena district amid a lack of commitments from higher levels of government.
A report of fraud tied to a walleye derby is under investigation after Montreal Lake Cree Nation said a participant allegedly violated derby rules and was asked to leave the fishing area.
An Edmonton architectural firm says it is in talks with the provincial government to potentially redevelop the former Royal Alberta Museum.
Does junior football have a future in Prince George?
People are descending upon the city for the dozens of events and live music performances this week as the Juno Awards are set to take place Sunday at Hamilton's TD Coliseum.
For nearly two decades, Amanda Loewen's world ended where the pavement did.
The notion that home ownership guarantees financial security in old age is being challenged by a recent survey.
The family of Nash Prystie has identified him as the man who died in an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) shooting earlier this month north of Kenora, and is calling for more and quicker help for people with mental health challenges.
Playoff action in the Ontario Hockey League gets underway Thursday night for Guelph and Friday in Kitchener.
UPEI wants its faculty to sign on to an updated version of its sexual assault and discrimination policy, but the union that represents the school's academic staff says it wants the policies to be part of its collective agreement.
In Texas this week for a global energy conference, the federal natural resources minister is proclaiming "Canada is back" and ready to bolster its energy sector and grow exports.