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A man with alleged ties to organized crime in Montreal has been sentenced to a two-year prison term, minus a day, after being found guilty of possessing a loaded firearm.

Steve (Cook) Casale, 40, was sentenced at the Montreal courthouse Wednesday. The prison term was a joint recommendation by the Crown and the defence.

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“Mr. Casale has no criminal record, he works, has three children and clearly has the support of his family,” Quebec Court Judge Suzanne Costom said while delivering the sentence. “Under the circumstances, the suggestion being made is certainly reasonable.”

Following the sentence, Casale was handcuffed as members of his family shed tears only feet away from him in the courtroom. He turned to blow them a kiss as he was taken to detention.

Casale was found guilty of the charge in May.

During the spring of 2017, the Montreal police received information from an informant who alleged that Casale was in charge of loansharking and a sports betting operation for a group the informant referred to as “Mirarchi Clan.”