A member of the Marauders MC were arrested last Thursday following an altercation which happened at a restaurant located in Laval. This event was overshadowed by the news which broke out relating to Project Alliance. We haven’t given up on our Project Alliance article, it is currently being written. We’d just like to cover all the bases and the history of the people arrested and the homicides involved in that case. Which is taking more time than predicted.
The Marauders MC keep popping up in news headlines this past year. Whether it be for a certain drug investigation, or the patching of reputed crime boss Jean-Philippe Celestin. The Marauders MC are a support club to the HAMC. Many people think support clubs dodge certain violence that happen within the underworld, but that is not the case for a select few support clubs. As proven with the Rockers MC in the `90’s, some of these support clubs and their members act as the main instigators of violence brought on by the criminal affairs these clubs find themselves in. This time, the arrests are solely based off of a freak incident.
On April 27th, 2025, five men including 41-year-old Benoit Taillefer, a member of the Marauders, and 37-year-old Michael Rochon, a ‘striker’, who is considered a close ally to the motorcycle club, were finishing up dinner at a restaurant. The meal of the day? Smoked meat. More specifically at Dunn’s Famous on Boulevard Saint Martin West in Laval. At around 3:30pm, while the group wes getting ready to leave the restaurant. Another patron of the restaurant, accompanied by three other individuals at a table, gave the group a hard glance. What we can only presume was a ‘stink eye’. Maybe the look of disapproval was because one individual in the group was wearing his Marauders cut.
Within seconds an altercation had taken place, with one Marauders member repeatedly hitting the man in question. The unnamed man eventually hit the floor and three members of the group started kicking the man while he was down. The two other individuals in the group had only encouraged their peers while all of this was happening. The group then left the restaurant, leaving the man bloodied and bruised.
Police had arrived on the scene. The man, bloodied, bruised and battered. Refused to talk to the police and file a complaint due to being intimidated by the group and their colors. After reviewing the surveillance video of the establishment, police considered they had enough proof to arrest the three members of the group that took part in the assault.
Nearly a month later, on June 12th, a task force comprised of the SPL, the SPL’s GTI (Tactical Intervention Group), the SQ (Quebec Provincial Police), a K9 unit and the SPL’s Equinox task force descended on three locations which included Saint-Jerome, Deux-Montagnes and Saint-Hippolyte. A total of 60 or so officers were mobilized throughout this operation and three search warrants were executed. Benoit Taillefer and Michael Rochon were arrested and charged. The third man targeted, another member of the Marauders, still unnamed and on the loose, is an individual who has close ties to Jean-Philippe Celestin. Police are still looking for the third suspect that took part in the beating.
Throughout the searches, authorities managed to gather a handgun, two magazines for that handgun, over 15,000$ in cash and Marauders apparel were seized in all three addresses. Benoit Taillefer is accused of assault, being in possession of a firearm and being in possession of drugs. Michael Rochon is facing charges for breaking his probation order, assault and possession of drugs.
It’s unclear what had led to the altercation, was it simply a glance of disapproval? Or was there more to the story? One thing is for sure, this incident puts the Marauders MC on a pedestal and makes them look a little suspicious. Was this just an egotistical incident? Is ego worth the beating of civilians who have no affiliation with motorcycle clubs and their affairs?
