Crime in Canada: Who “took out” Bobby the Greek – He was being followed by five police cars with ten officers (video)

10:15 a.m.
On a sunny greeting successful Laval, a densely populated country of Montreal, beingness went connected arsenic usual. But this peculiar Wednesday, October 1, would beryllium a fatal 1 for a Greek-Canadian fig rising successful the city’s underworld—40-year-old Charalambos Theologou, known to galore arsenic “Bobby the Greek.”

That morning, Bobby arrived successful a bulletproof Cadillac Escalade astatine the parking batch of a Starbucks connected 4630 Voie de Dessert South, adjacent Highway 440—a engaged country surrounded by restaurants and a McDonald’s.
He was accompanied by his 45-year-old right-hand man, Elias Hatzi. They entered the café and joined a 3rd antheral astatine a array successful the back. There were astir 14–15 different customers, 2 of whom were sitting alone.

They knew precisely wherever helium was sitting

At 10:35 a.m., two hooded men wearing bluish and grey sweatshirts entered the café. Security footage shows them moving rapidly toward the backmost close table, wherever Bobby and his associates sat. Without hesitation, they opened fire, hitting their targets earlier they collapsed to the floor.

Panic ensued. Customers and unit ducked nether tables and counters. The attackers didn’t purpose astatine anyone else—after 15 seconds, they fled.

Outside, a gray Honda Civic awaited them—the aforesaid conveyance that information cameras had recorded arriving ten minutes earlier Bobby.

Police and paramedics arrived wrong minutes. One man—believed to beryllium an undercover officer—administered CPR to Theologou, but helium was already dead. Hatzi and the 3rd antheral were critically injured; aft surgery, Hatzi survived and gave the archetypal testimony. The 3rd man’s individuality remains undisclosed.

A pre-announced crime

The Sûreté du Québec (Quebec Police) launched a monolithic manhunt. Sixteen hours later, the getaway car was recovered burned successful a junkyard connected Joliot-Curie Avenue, successful the Riviere-des-Prairies area. Investigators confirmed that modified Glock 18 pistols with high-capacity magazines had been used.

According to constabulary sources, this was intelligibly a mob hit—a settling of scores among Montreal transgression groups. Theologou had reportedly received death threats successful caller months and took precautions, ever accompanied by Hatzi.

Authorities besides admitted that Theologou had been nether adjacent surveillance by a dedicated constabulary team. Local Quebec media reported that an undercover officer was wrong the Starbucks astatine the clip of the shooting—one of the 2 “lone customers.” He was the 1 who tried to prevention Bobby’s life. The different lone customer, constabulary believe, was an informant for the assassins, giving them real-time updates.

That day, five constabulary cars with 10 officers were pursuing Theologou, positive a coordinating officer. One conveyance was parked astatine the café. Yet, the gunmen escaped wholly unhindered—raising superior questions for investigators.

Warnings earlier the hit

Three days earlier the murder, connected September 28, Bobby’s ex-wife—driving a car that erstwhile belonged to him—was blocked by an equipped vehicle. Two gunmen approached but backed disconnected upon realizing she was with their children. Hours later, a car was recovered torched extracurricular a location successful Kirkland. It turned retired the arsonists had mistaken the target—they had meant to pain Bobby’s vehicle.

Former “brothers”

Who ordered Bobby’s death? Police fishy rival gangs, but besides former allies.
Bobby controlled drug trafficking, extortion, bombings, arsons, threats, and murders crossed Laval, peculiarly targeting bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. He besides brokered deals betwixt gangs—sometimes moving with everyone, sometimes stepping connected toes.

He was allied with Arab Power, 1 of Montreal’s astir convulsive gangs, and the Rolling 90s, who are linked to Markens Vilme, serving beingness for the 2019 execution of a apical Ontario Hells Angels (O-HAMC) member, Michael Soulde. That sidesplitting had already strained relations betwixt Bobby and the Hells Angels. Police initially suspected they were down the hit.

Three days aft Bobby’s assassination, Vilme was stabbed 20 times successful prison—believed to beryllium retaliation, suggesting an ongoing mob war.

Aiming for the top

“Bobby the Greek” had large ambitions—to scope the apical of Montreal’s underworld.
His gang, the Chomedey Greeks, operated successful Laval’s Greek-Canadian community. Starting his transgression vocation successful 2005 astatine property 20, helium had by 40 go 1 of Montreal’s astir almighty figures.

His timing was significant: Leonardo Rizzuto, lad of legendary mob brag Vito Rizzuto, had been arrested successful June during Project Alliance, leaving a leadership vacuum. Multiple groups were present vying for dominance—including Bobby’s.

Experts similar Valentin Pereda, criminology prof astatine the University of Montreal, told The Guardian that the arrests had destabilized the mafia’s structure, creating chaos among smaller, less-organized gangs. “The execution of Bobby is simply a motion of a volatile and fluid situation,” helium said.

Life and crimes

Theologou’s archetypal documented nexus to transgression came successful 2005, erstwhile Montreal constabulary arrested him and six others for drug trafficking. He pleaded blameworthy and served two years successful prison.

A twelvemonth later, Theologou and 4 different men were arrested arsenic suspects successful transportation with an earlier 2004 battle connected a taxi operator who had been beaten into a coma implicit a indebtedness to a indebtedness shark.
Bobby pleaded blameworthy to obstruction of justness during the probe and was sentenced to 15 months successful prison.

In 2009, helium was arrested again for cause trafficking astatine metro stations successful downtown and southwest Montreal.

On February 24, 2010, helium pleaded blameworthy to charges of cause trafficking, conspiracy, and possession of a firearm, and received a five-year sentence.
The sentences from his 3 cases were yet merged, and connected April 23, 2013, Bobby was released connected parole aft serving two-thirds of his full term.

“He told maine helium would change”

One of Bobby’s erstwhile precocious schoolhouse teachers, James Watts, told Global News helium was profoundly saddened erstwhile helium learned of his erstwhile student’s murder.
He remembered him arsenic a lively, energetic, and promising young man—“full of life.”

“I deliberation astir what helium could person achieved if helium had made amended choices,”
Watts said.

He past saw Theologou astir 10 years ago, erstwhile Bobby attended a relative’s graduation, aft his archetypal arrests.

“He told maine helium was going to crook his beingness around—and I truly believed him,”
Watts recalled.

But, helium added, Bobby ne'er kept his word.