Lawyers for a former Sudbury financial adviser who has been charged with bilking dozens of clients out of millions of dollars investments argued Thursday they would like Pierre Montpellier?s trial heard outside Sudbury.
Montpellier, 42, faces 151 counts of theft over $5,000 and 151 counts of fraud over $5,000 after allegedly bilking 108 clients out of close to $6 million in investments.
Justice Robert Del Frate of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice listened to arguments from defence lawyer Norm Williams and Glenn Sandberg. They asked Montpellier?s trial, set to begin May 10, be moved to another city.
Del Frate ordered a ban on publication of all evidence presented at Thursday?s change of venue hearing.
Assistant Crown attorney Diane Fuller argued Montpellier could receive a fair trial from an impartial jury here in Sudbury.
At Northern Life presstime Thursday, Del Frate was listening to arguments from Fuller.
He?s expected to make his final decision on the change of venue application today or sometime next week.
Montpellier was the owner of his own Sudbury-based investment firm and he promised clients a guaranteed return on their investments.
He left Sudbury for Europe in late 1998 telling investors he was going overseas to try and retrieve the money he had invested.
He was arrested in a small town outside London, England in late October of 2001.
He waived his right to an extradition hearing and has remained in custody at the Sudbury District Jail for more than two years awaiting trial.
Montpellier has twice been denied bail and will remain in custody until his trial begins.
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