Trial set for autumn for Vincent Blanchette, accused of extortion and human trafficking

Quebec businessman Vincent Blanchette will stand trial this autumn for extortion, human trafficking and drug trafficking. A hearing is scheduled for 8 September.

Vincent Blanchette committed to trial before judge and jury

According to ici.radio-canada.ca, a judge at the Quebec City courthouse ruled on Tuesday that the evidence gathered against businessman and restaurateur Vincent Blanchette justified holding a trial before a judge and jury. A hearing for further proceedings was scheduled for 8 September.

Blanchette faces an extortion charge as well as a new charge of human trafficking. The defence contested these two counts, but the court upheld them.

Between 2018 and 2025, he allegedly coerced a woman into providing him sexual services under threat. He is also accused of making an intimate image of the same complainant accessible without her consent. Publication bans prohibit the disclosure of certain evidence as well as the identity of the complainant.

The entrepreneur is also charged with drug trafficking between January 2021 and May 2023. Blanchette is known for having co-founded the Thaï Zone and Chocolato chains, as well as the Shaker resto-bars. In December, some of his conditions for release had been eased, allowing him notably to retrieve his passport.

Source: Google News CA — Québec (FR)