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MONTREAL — Three men convicted of stealing $18 million worth of maple syrup should face stiff penalties for their part in the scheme, the Crown said Friday during sentencing arguments.

Prosecutor Julien Beauchamp-Laliberté told a court in Trois-Rivières the men should pay back the value of the syrup as well as pay additional fines and should also serve jail terms ranging from three to eight years.

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A fourth man, Jean Lord, was acquitted.

Jurors found Richard Vallières, Raymond Vallières and Étienne St-Pierre guilty last November in connection with the theft of 2,700 tonnes of syrup from a warehouse in Quebec between August 2011 and July 2012.

They faced various charges, including fraud, theft, and possession and trafficking of stolen goods.

Beauchamp-Laliberté said Richard Vallières should get eight years in jail and a $9.4-million fine on top of paying back his share of the value of the syrup.