CANADA – Montreal’s Jewish ex-mayor to serve (only) 1 year in jail for fraud

JTA – Montreal’s first Jewish mayor was sentenced to a one-year prison term following his January conviction on eight counts of corruption, breach of trust and fraud.

“I can guarantee you and my family that I will be a better person when I come out,” Michael Applebaum said in provincial court at his sentencing hearing on Thursday. He also received two years probation.

Applebaum, 54, served for seven months as interim mayor of Montreal before being arrested at his home in 2013 for alleged crimes committed between 2006 and 2012 while he was mayor of the city’s largest borough. He had run on a platform of cleaning up city hall.

The conviction related to accepting kickbacks and favors from engineering firms and real estate developers in exchange for approval of projects.

Applebaum faced a maximum five-year sentence.