Sutton-Québec president arrested on arson charges, allegedly against competitors

MONTREAL — The president and co-founder of real estate firm Sutton-Québec is facing arson and conspiracy charges linked to fires allegedly started in buildings housing other brokers.

Court documents indicate Christophe Folla and two other suspects are accused of arson for allegedly damaging buildings by fire or explosion between 2017 and 2022 in St-Sauveur and Ste-Thérèse, both in the Laurentians region north of Montreal.

The addresses of two of the damaged buildings cited in the charge sheet correspond to a Royal Lepage-Humania office and a REMAX Bonjour office, both in St-Sauveur.

The Quebec Crown prosecutor’s office confirmed that two of the alleged co-conspirators, Benjamin Amar and Alain Marc Nahmias, appeared in court on Wednesday, while Folla is expected to appear Thursday morning in St-Jérôme.

Quebec provincial police announced Wednesday that they had arrested three suspects between the ages of 41 and 70, but did not confirm the identities of the suspects.

Sutton did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding Folla, who co-founded Sutton-Québec in 1995.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan 24, 2024.

The Canadian Press