6 kilograms of cocaine. 6 kilograms of cocaine per week with only a 28-year-old to push, rewarding him with close to 10 to 12 thousand per week. It’s clear as day that Cedric Duchaine is not a small fish in Quebec City’s underworld, but rather somewhat of a high-roller. Fast money doesn’t always last though. Especially if we take into consideration all the crimes committed in order to secure that bag. And if it’s not the various crimes that will land you in jail, it’s your ego. This isn’t Duchaine’s first mention throughout the chronicles of The Dirty News, but rather his second, with the first being about a battery handed down to Maxime Maheux in prison.
We’ve briefly covered the manslaughter case of Michel Petit, explaining it when we wrote the Maxime Maheux story. In the past couple of weeks, Duchaine had another court appearance relating to this case. Keep in mind this ‘murder’ had been executed by an acquaintance of his. Both were involved in what ultimately happened. Today we’ll cover what actually occurred on that fateful day along with the facts set out from the court hearings.
Young OG
The homicide in question had occurred on the 26th of October back in 2021. It happened near Quebec City’s ‘La Pyramide’, a shopping center famous for being the epicenter for college kids hanging out after class. It took over a year to solve this murder, with the fruits of this investigation only giving way in November of 2022. Cedric Duchaine did not act alone, but rather with Eli-Samuel Bazinet. Even after both individuals were convicted, it is hard to determine the true intention which was originally set forth by the two perpetrators. Was it a simple poke and prod, to send a message to rival crews? Or was there an intent to murder?
To form a clear idea of the extent of the crime, we’ll describe Cedric Duchaine’s lifestyle leading up to the event. A lifestyle that was luxurious and violent both at the same time. Duchaine spent his 20’s building a drug trafficking network which would later earn him a massive amount of cash flow week by week. It would only be a matter of time before someone stuck a branch in the wheel of the operation. It would eventually crumble after investigators of Project MALSAIN would uncover a drug trafficking ring, led by Cedric Duchaine in December of 2021. Although his past criminal record didn’t lie, he was in it for the long run.
With lesser drug trafficking charges in the past, and also being convicted of assault and sentenced to 90 days, following a 3-year probation order. His criminal career accelerated by a long-shot in the following months. In March of 2020, authorities had accused him of conspiring to murder Olivier Larrivee in Val-Belair. He had conspired this act with a partner, staying true to the street code, to this day, we do not know his name. This series of events occurred throughout the 24th of March to the 30th. Larrivee was not the only man on Duchaine’s hitlist, but two other criminals, one named William Paquette and the other being Clement Karera, a renowned member of the Wolfpack; a street gang which specialized in pimping throughout the early 2000’s.
Cedric Duchaine would later face more flack from authorities in December of 2021. This time, they targeted his drug trafficking operation. As mentioned previously, this operation was due to the fruits of ‘Projet MALSAIN’. The operation was a project led by the SPVQ to battle the rise of drug trafficking in the city and its surrounding areas. The sweep would have 11 individuals arrested in total. Duchaine would gain 7 charges in which he awaited sentencing over the next little while. Duchaine was the prime suspect, believed to have headed the operation.
He lived the high life, all the while running his drug trafficking operation. It was believed he was pushing 5 to 6 kilograms of cocaine a week. We all know that authorities like to exaggerate amounts of contraband seized, most likely coming up with this figure after reading text messages that Duchaine would profit a total of 500$ for every 250 grams of cocaine seized. Search warrants also helped authorities realize the grandeur of his operation; Rolex’s were seized, as well as supercar rentals slips found in his home. The media portrays his expenses reached up to 6500$ biweekly.
Nearly 15 cellphones were seized throughout this operation with pictures portraying Duchaine and several accomplices taking selfies with bricks of cocaine, prohibited firearms and stacks of cash money.
Turning Point
As with all criminals, there is a downfall. Very few walk away without repercussions. Duchaine is one of those unlucky individuals who ultimately faces a hefty amount of prison time. Having conspired and wishing for the death of 3 individuals in the past. Duchaine finally reaped what he had spent so much energy to sow. The event in question occurred on the 26th of October, 2021. Michel Petit was stabbed to death near the intersection of Neree-Tremblay and Chapdelaine in Quebec City’s Sainte-Foy borough. Petit was alleged to be one of his competitors.
Duchaine and Eli-Samuel Bazinet had lived in the same apartment complex in the weeks leading up to the murder. The garage of this apartment complex was where the crime was conjured. This meeting had occurred only a few days before Petit’s murder. On the day of the murder, Duchaine and Bazinet left the complex heading their own separate ways but ultimately had the same destination, give or take; La Pyramide. Duchaine had set-up a meeting with Michel Petit on that fateful day. When the two men met, they shook hands and started walking.
All of a sudden, Bazinet had come up, out of nowhere, wielding a knife, stabbing Petit in the abdomen and arm while Duchaine hadn’t hinted a spec of concern. Watching the 37-year-old man slowly start to bleed out. Duchaine’s following actions would assist in making him as guilty as Bazinet. Both suspects had fled, going their own separate ways after the act was committed.
Reap What You Sow
The first to be convicted of this homicide was Cedric Duchaine, although he wasn’t the first suspect in the sights of authorities. On December 17th, 2024, Duchaine pleaded guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter. He settled his drug-trafficking charges simultaneously while in court. Duchaine denied having any ideology of killing Michel Petit. Although, he was far from straying from his criminal career, partaking in the prison beating of Maxime Maheux, a drug addict who faced scrutiny from the Blood Family Mafia, committing several crimes for the gang.
Eli-Samuel Bazinet had been the first to be in the iron sights of authorities. Fleeing the city, seeking refuge in Montreal and then Gatineau all the while having his phones tapped. An electronic sketch of Bazinet’s face was concurred and set forth to the public shortly after the murder. Bazinet’s day in court arrived on December 19th, 2024, were he was handed a 12-year-sentence for involuntary manslaughter.
