Frederick Silva one of the most wanted men in Quebec and Canada has finally been captured.
The 38-year-old alleged hitman was arrested around midnight by authorities in downtown Montreal. He has been on the run since 2017 and according to reports has been using multiple fake identities and disguises in an effort to escape custody. Silva has been linked to various criminal organizations including the Montreal mafia and is a suspect in multiple murders. He is currently being charged with multiple murders, attempted murder, and more. According to investigators he may have been responsible for carrying out up to a dozen or more contract hits across Canada on behalf of organized crime along with other random crimes.
“Frederick Silva”
Silva has been linked to some of the key players in the Montreal underworld going back several years. According to information from the Magot-Mastiff probe that took down several members of organized crime in late 2015 he was observed by police several times during the investigation. He was seen in the company of influential gang-leader Gregory Woolley along with high ranking members of the cities biker gangs. He was also seen leaving an airport in March of 2015 with then alleged Rizzuto crime family leaders Stefano Sollecito and Leonardo Rizzuto.
In 2017 Silva was accused of attempting to kill Montreal Mafia leader Salvatore Scoppa at a restaurant in Terrebonne. According to reports Silva and multiple friends entered the restaurant where Scoppa was and at some point opened fire several times hitting Scoppa twice. It remains unclear as to whether or not the attempted murder of Scoppa was due to a personal dispute or it was a contracted hit taken out by mafia rivals.
With Silva now in custody the question of whether or not he would agree to cooperate with authorities will surely surface. The possibility alone could have members of the mafia in Montreal and elsewhere along with other criminal groups concerned. Silva will plead not guilty to two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and possession of a weapon according to reports.
