Officers with the Laval Police Department’s organized crime investigation unit were on the scene outside the Mr. Puffs outlet on Notre Dame Blvd. near the corner of Melville Ave. Friday Dec. 5 after gunshots were fired on the bakery around midnight the previous night, leaving at least one bullet hole in a shattered front door window.
Friday morning, a police security tape cordoned off all the stores in the strip mall near the corner of du Sablon Rd. in Chomedey where the Mr. Puffs is located, as the investigators continued their analysis of the crime scene.
Local media report that the night before, two similar gunshot incidents took place at commercial establishments located in Laval’s Vimont and Duvernay districts.
This latest firearms incident followed the slaying of Charalambos Theologou, a reputed local organized crime figure, who was shot to death in broad daylight in early October inside a Starbucks coffee shop on the Autoroute 440 south service road, notably just a short distance from the Mr. Puffs head office also on the A-440.
Several media, including CBC Montreal and La Presse, have claimed Theologou was the head of an extortion racket that had set up a base of operations in the Notre Dame Blvd. Mr. Puffs.
Mr. Puffs head office issued a statement denying categorically any connection, as suggested by La Presse in an article.
“The article published suggests that an individual known to police had been associated with criminal activity and had ‘established a headquarters’ within one of our Laval restaurants,” said the company.
“Mr. Puffs categorically denies any business, financial, or operational ties to this individual or to any criminal organizations.”
They went on to say that Mr. Puffs franchise locations “are operated by independent business owners under strict agreements with Head Office.
“At no time has Mr. Puffs authorized, condoned, or been aware of the alleged activities described in the media report. We are deeply troubled by the implications and wish to reassure the public that Mr. Puffs had no involvement in these matters.”
Among the measures Mr. Puffs head office said it had taken, they said they:
- Reached out to law enforcement to offer full cooperation.
- Reviewed internal franchise compliance protocols to ensure strong oversight across all locations.
- Communicated directly with the franchisee concerned to reaffirm contractual obligations and brand standards.
“We strongly condemn any suggestion of links between Mr. Puffs and organized crime,” said Tom Bountis, president and chief executive officer of Mr. Puffs Canada.
This latest incident comes just a few days after the City of Laval and the Laval Police announced a new program of public safety and law enforcement measures to deal with a renewed wave of extortion attempts, punctuated by gunshots, against Chomedey and Laval business owners.
