Pubdate: Sunday, January 17, 1999
Source: The Sudbury Star (Canada)
Section: Page A1
Website: http://www.thesudburystar.com
Contact: SUDBURY WIDOW SUES POLICE BOARD

TORONTO (CP) -- The widow of a murdered drug dealer is suing Sudbury's
police board, claiming her husband should have been warned there was a
threat against his life.

Leo Pilotte was convicted in 1997 of first-degree murder in the death
of Gerry Leveille, 40, whose mutilated body was found in an old corn
silo in Oshawa, east of Toronto.

Leveille's widow says police put a greater priority on investigating
her husband for drug dealing than on protecting his life.

"I have to do this for me and the kids. If Gerry had been warned,
they'd still have a father," Paulette Leveille said.

Leveille's three children are now aged 18, 15 and 11.

At Pilotte's murder trial, Sgt. Tapio Paajanen of Sudbury Region
police testified undercover police followed the victim and would-be
killer for two weeks but "nothing materialized."

Police decided not to inform Leveille of the threat or arrest Pilotte,
because they worried about the safety of the informant who had taped a
threat by Pilotte, Paajanen testified in 1997.

That informant, Pilotte's cousin Joel Pilotte, was helping RCMP in a
steroid and drug investigation.

"Our prime fear was the safety of Joel Pilotte. Also, this would
have exposed the ongoing RCMP investigations against Mr. Leo
Pilotte," Paajanen testified.

Paajanen, Sudbury Police Chief Alex McCauley and lawyer Peter
Archambault refused to comment on Leveille's lawsuit. Toronto lawyer
Duncan Embury, who is representing the Leveille family, also refused
comment, the Star said.

However, the statement of defence says police did take steps to
"properly and appropriately" warn Leveille and his family about
"foreseeable dangers."

- ---
MAP posted-by: Rich O'Grady