Investigators with the Sûreté du Québec are actively working to determine whether Stéphane Plouffe, a 57-year-old high-ranking figure within the Hells Angels, is officially reported missing after he vanished and cut off all contact with his family last weekend, according to police sources cited by La Presse.
Plouffe has not been seen by his family since the end of last week. Police recovered the 57-year-old motard’s vehicle near a park in Saint-Eustache early in the week. Intelligence investigators from the Sûreté du Québec began gathering information on Thursday, though sources indicate they are receiving no cooperation from the missing man’s family or close associates. While law enforcement has not yet received a formal missing person’s complaint, authorities retain the discretion to launch an official investigation.
Investigation Status and Vehicle Discovery in Saint-Eustache
The inquiry remains open-ended as investigators attempt to trace Plouffe’s movements. “Is the motard out of the country? Or is it something else? We don’t know,” a police source told reporters regarding the unfolding situation. Beyond the initial intelligence-gathering steps initiated on Thursday and the early-week discovery of his vehicle in Saint-Eustache, no formal charges or definitive conclusions regarding his status have been released.
Criminal History and Rise Within the Hells Angels
Stéphane Plouffe has been a member of the Montreal section of the Hells Angels since 1999 and serves as the right-hand man to Martin Robert, whom law enforcement identifies as the most influential criminal motard in Quebec and Canada. Plouffe previously served as president of the Death Riders, an active former club-school for the Hells Angels during the biker war of the 1990s. Both men share a history with the Death Riders, and Plouffe reportedly officiated Martin Robert’s December 2018 wedding at a downtown Montreal ballroom.
According to an anonymous former organized crime police specialist, Plouffe and Robert solidified their power base following the April 2009 Operation SharQc. “Before Operation SharQc, Plouffe was very active in the Lower Laurentians, but after SharQc, he and Martin Robert took control of the Montreal chapter and imposed their vision regarding criminal activities and extortion,” the former specialist analyzed. They capitalized on the weakening of the Rizzuto mafia clan following the November 2015 Operation Magot-Mastiff, ultimately making the Montreal Hells Angels chapter the dominant criminal group on the island.
Plouffe’s criminal record includes an 11-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to a conspiracy to murder charge following Operation SharQc, resulting in his release in 2015. In 2004, he received a three-year prison sentence for drug trafficking following the Sûreté du Québec’s Project Océan. Additionally, he pleaded guilty in November 2022 to an assault charge stemming from a road rage incident, earning a two-year probation sentence and community service. He also remains the target of an ongoing Sûreté du Québec drug trafficking investigation named Project Ravager, which included a March 2023 search of his residence in Saint-Joseph-du-Lac, though no charges have been filed in that probe.
Did You Know? Stéphane Plouffe served as the president of the Death Riders, which operated as a prominent club-school for the Hells Angels during the biker conflicts of the 1990s.
Business Ventures and Extortion Allegations
Outside of his established role in organized crime, Plouffe maintains involvement in cryptocurrency and several business ventures spanning real estate, restaurant operations, and the automotive sector. Police and underworld sources describe him as a debt collector who controls drug trafficking territories in Laval and the Laurentides, noting that his imposing demeanor commands attention.
His business dealings have previously drawn legal and criminal scrutiny. Jean-François Malo, an imprisoned former real estate developer from Joliette who fled Quebec prior to receiving a five-year sentence for plotting an attack against a Mouvement Desjardins lawyer, detailed interactions with Plouffe in a letter to a judge. Malo claimed that Plouffe—known by the nickname “Fesse”—came to his home to intimidate him and demand money, shortly before Malo’s Maserati was destroyed by an arson fire in August 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Stéphane Plouffe?
Stéphane Plouffe is a 57-year-old senior member of the Montreal chapter of the Hells Angels, a former president of the Death Riders, and a close associate of high-ranking motard Martin Robert.
What do police know about his disappearance?
Sûreté du Québec intelligence investigators began inquiries on Thursday after family members reported he had not been seen or heard from since the previous weekend. His vehicle was discovered earlier in the week near a park in Saint-Eustache, though no formal complaint has been filed and family members have not cooperated with authorities.
What criminal investigations involve Plouffe?
Plouffe has past convictions stemming from Operation SharQc and Project Océan, and he remains the subject of an active Sûreté du Québec drug trafficking probe known as Project Ravager, alongside past legal matters involving assault and extortion allegations.
What potential impacts could this situation have on the stability of Montreal’s organized crime networks?
Worth a look