Trial of drug traffickers from the Grappe district in Montpellier: the defense obtains reduced sentences

Un procès sous haute surveillance toute la semaine à Montpellier MIDI LIBRE – François Barrère

Au terme d'une semaine de débats, les treize prévenus ont été déclarés coupables, mais les peines prononcées sont nettement inférieures aux réquisitions du ministère public.

At the end of a week of trial, the Montpellier criminal court rendered its judgment this Friday, March 15, in the trial of the gang of traffickers from the districts of La Grappe and ;Aiguelongue, which was dismantled in May 2022, following a long police investigation.

14 years and 400,000 € had been requested by the prosecutor

Laurent Morcillo, a 40-year-old convict, who was suspected of directing the network's activities from his cell at the Lannemezan power station, received a heavy sentence of 8 years in prison and 80,000 euros ; fine, which remains much lower than the 14 years in prison and the fine of  400,000 € requested Wednesday by the attorney general. He was defended by Me Stéphane Gas, of the Paris bar.

Defended by Me Louis Dolez, his son Laurent Morcillo, 21 years old, who had assumed the central role of directing daily traffic, is sentenced to five years, one of which is suspended, and a fine of 80,000 & ;euro;, where the magistrate had requested 8 years and 100,000 € fine. Their mother and grandmother received two years, including 18 months suspended probation, her two other sons were sentenced to 3 years, two of which were suspended and six months suspended.

Jonathan Boccadifuocco is acquitted for the financial offenses, but is sentenced to 8 months for possession of a weapon. Mickaël Amador, in whose home a stock of weapons of war had been discovered, was practically sentenced to the sentence requested by the prosecutor against him: five years in prison, of which six suspended month.

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