Argenteuil is a county on the north shore of Montreal which includes towns such as Lachute, who was victim to a dramatic increase of criminal vehicle arsons at the beginning of the year. Happening at the very pinnacle of the Blood Family Mafia drug war against the Hells Angels MC, throughout the months of February and March of 2024. It was clear that another street gang had been formed and had already begun to take shots at the HAMC, little did we know this would eventually tie into the famed BFM/HA drug war. With Maxime Seguin at the throne of the clique.
So why are we just recently hearing about this crew? After more than a dozen arsons were set on multiple different vehicles, an investigation was brought on by the local authorities in the county. This investigation had unveiled a bigger ploy in the street gang’s ultimate mission. To take over the drug trade from the Hells Angels MC in the region. The obstacle that stood in their way for this takeover was a man by the name Daniel-Andre Giroux, an HAMC member of the Montreal chapter in charge of the Argenteuil country.
Their actions against the almighty motorcycle gang has dated back to February 15th, 2024, roughly around the same time as BFM started taking costly measures such as kidnapping and torturing known HAMC associates and drug dealers. We aren’t certain if the two street gangs had been in contact with each other around that time, but we can bet that they will be, and eventually membership might start to grow like a snowball rolling down a well-powdered hill.
SBJ: Seguin, Berthiaume & Jarry
The street gang is titled ‘SBJ’, an amalgamation of the last names of the gang’s founders; Maxime Seguin, Mathieu Berthiaume and Dominic Jarry. Hence Seguin, Berthiaume, Jarry. SBJ. The gang’s color? Red. The newly formed street gang decided to oppose the biker gang in February. Police had effected a crackdown on this gang throughout 2024. Once search warrants were laid out by the courts, a slew of evidence would come flowing in, incriminating members of the gang even more. Police found several videos of evidence such as screenshots of maps where arsons had taken place, victims being beaten and battered and suspicious text messages.
The street gang and biker organization began rubbing shoulders in the winter of 2023-2024. Seguin was expecting a conflict to break out, authorities were able to confirm following the seizure of many cell phones. He wrote to Dominic Jarry, “It’s almost war here”, on February 15th of 2024. Only 24 hours later, the friction between the two organizations would start to create sparks. On the 16th of February, the fire would be set aflame, quite literally. A month-long strife would take place involving thirteen vehicle arsons, which explain the uptake on news coverage in the municipality. A strife that would last the next few months.
In the wee-hours of February 16th, firefighters and emergency services would have their hands full. Arson after arson would be set, resulting in three arsons taking place within half an hour. It started in Lachute, towards 3am on Rue Milway. Emergency services would witness another sunset only a handful of minutes later. This time there were two vehicles that had been set ablaze in the same driveway on Rue Duverny. In the driveway of a bungalow located less than 3 miles away from the initial arson on Milway.
Delinquents in the area, with a thirst for money would go as far as texting Seguin under burner cell phones, asking if he had work available. On one occasion, Seguin was reluctant to offer ‘jobs’ but eventually caved in when the unknown recipient further asked if there were any vehicles in need of torching. “Your boys aren’t with the bikers, are they?” Seguin would text before describing the details.
The text messages would all be sent through a cell phone app ‘Signal’, an application that all drug dealers are well acquainted with. Ecstatic messages came out through the app, describing the scene of the crime, coincidently, the messages would come in after an arson had been set. In Quebec, a popular past-time in wintertime is ice fishing. Many avid ice-fishermen would use a tent, or a cabin to keep warm while fishing for hours out on a lake. On the 17th of February, 2024, a prominent biker figure’s ice fishing cabin would be reduced to ashes. The man who owned the fishing cabin was Daniel-Andre ‘Grand Dan’ Giroux, a full-patch HAMC member in charge of the area.
On February 24th, a severe beating would occur in Thetford Mines. Keep in mind Thetford Mines is located over three hours away from Lachute. SBJ was the prime suspect in this beating. The victim was beaten with a telescopic nightstick and shot twice in the legs. He was rushed to the hospital with major trauma to his head and blood leaking down where the two bullet holes were administered although authorities did not fear for the man’s life.
On the 29th of February, police managed to decipher the fact that two unknown suspects came close to Seguin with intentions that weren’t for the faint of heart. Seguin had allegedly texted on how the 2 suspects were there to kill him, claiming war with the other faction later through text. Oddly enough, on March 4th, a suspect was seen walking to Seguin’s home through surveillance cameras. A shot would be heard, sending the suspect running the opposite way. It’s believed the shot came from Seguin’s faction, given the suspect was darting the other way. An hour or so later, Seguin, Danika Menard-Parisien and an unidentified man were seen leaving the house through the same surveillance cameras.
The last fire would take place on March 6th. Around this time an incoming text exclaimed how the sender was looking up insurance rates, and laughing at the fact on how the gang would manage to hike up rates within the area due to their spree of sabotage. A seizure had occurred on March 7th, in Seguin’s home where authorities managed to find two pistols. Even though there were less arsons, events would heighten in violence.
Between 11:15pm and 11:45pm on April 7th, 2024, a house in the Champlain Township of Hawkesbury, a family was woken with a hail of bullets. It occurred near Highway 17 and Charbonneau Road on Ste-Anne Road. The Seguin family would be traumatized by this event. Bullets would be aired out throughout their house. The room of their one year old would be riddled with bullets. The Seguin family would have nothing to do with Maxime Seguin, but the incident was simply a case of mistaken identity. An unfortunate family name for the given time and place. No one was injured in this shooting. Nearly a dozen days later Maxime Seguin’s house was shot at. Keep in mind Danika Menard-Parisien is Seguin’s girlfriend, causing her to get caught up in the mix.
Payback’s a bitch, for either party in this case. Shots were fired towards ‘Grand Dan’ Giroux’s right hand man’s abode, an identity which hasn’t been revealed yet. Although this series of events would be unfortunate for the SBJ Gang. Two days later on May 9th, 2024. Police would begin a new step on a well warranted crackdown. Authorities had enough drugs, weapons and cash as evidence to finally arrest some of the members of the gang.
Daniel-Andre ‘Grand Dan’ Giroux
Who exactly is Giroux? A veteran in the 1%er world, Giroux blamed the blaze on a chimney fire when questioned by authorities, clearly sticking to the code. The veteran biker was born in 1970, and had a lengthy criminal past. In 2018, Giroux had a warrant out for his arrest, making the biker a fugitive. Wanted for cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking along with gangsterism. He was targeted by authorities in ‘Project Objection’ which had taken place in 2018.
The operation had targeted the HAMC in the province, along with bikers from New Brunswick. It resulted in the seizure of 21 kilograms of cocaine, over 2 million dollars in cash, 34 firearms and multiple patches as well as bulletproof vests being seized. The operation initially led to the arrests of over 60 criminals in Quebec and its surrounding provinces. Over 300 police officers took part in the operation.
After being sentenced in July of 2021 to seven years, he had accumulated a healthy amount of time-spent, which in Quebec is time and a half. He had a little over 2 years to serve. Given a strict parole due to his extensive criminal history, he would refuse his parole conditions, offered to him for a conditional release. While Giroux was serving his time, a slew of shenanigans had occurred, with prison authorities noting 14 different events that went against the prison’s guidelines. Being in possession of cannabis, cell phones or tobacco, Giroux seemed to have a knack for getting in trouble throughout his incarceration. Refusing drug tests on two occasions or even a documented fight between Giroux and another prisoner. The list seems to be never-ending.
Maxime Seguin & Imprisonment
Seguin had already been accused of a break and entry in Grenville on December 20th of 2016. Less than a month later, on January 11th, he was the prime suspect once again in a break-in of an apartment building in Hawkesbury. On the December 2nd B&E, he assaulted an individual during the crime and stole a vehicle parked at the residence. In the January 11th B&E, the crimes were similar, except instead of stealing a vehicle this time, he demanded money from the residents.
Maxime Seguin, 32, Mathieu Berthiaume, 33, Dominic Jarry, 47, and Seguin’s girlfriend, Danika Menard-Parisien, 33, would all be scooped up through Operation Centaur. Two other suspects would have been apprehended on that fateful day on May 9th, 2024. Jonathan-Leo Crooks, 33, and Kelly Ayotte-Deschamps, 27-years-old. Operation Centaur was meant to tackle the increase in violence towards the northwest of Quebec and the east of Ontario. All of the arrests which took place happened either in Lachute, Hawkesbury or Brownsburg-Chatham, where Seguin’s home was located.
The suspects are facing charges of gangsterism, drug-trafficking and firearms charges and appeared in the Saint-Jerome courthouse. 250 grams of cocaine were seized, 15,000 methamphetamine tablets along with 11,500$ in cash money were seized alongside the two 9mm pistols in March at Seguin’s home. This isn’t Seguin’s first brush with the law, with a charge dating back all the way to 2017.
This concludes our set profile of the ‘SBJ Gang’. It is unknown whether the gang will carry on to have further membership, but as some say, it’s not over until the fat lady sings. Sure, SBJ’s leadership might be all currently locked up, but this is a war between multiple and many powerful factions. Even this battle occurring from Lachute to Hawkesbury would turn on the flick of a dime.
