HISTORY’S SWEETEST THEFT The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist
Maple syrup holds a proud place in the history and culture of Quebec, Canada. It’s also a big part of Quebec’s economy, with 72% of the world’s maple syrup produced in Quebec alone. Due to tactics employed by the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers (FPAQ), the NPR-backed podcast “The Indicator” estimates that maple syrup is valued at approximately $1,300 per barrel — over 20 times more than crude oil. The FPAQ controls the available syrup supply, never releasing enough maple syrup to meet demand, which increases the price. As a result, most of the world’s maple syrup is stored in various reserves.
knocked over one of the empty barrels. The inspector alerted the police, who would go on to arrest 17 men in connection to the theft, including Vallières himself. Police were then able to recover hundreds of barrels of the stolen syrup, but most of it was never recovered — likely lost to pancake breakfasts far away.
Between 2011 and 2012, a group of thieves decided to liberate the syrup from an FPAQ facility in Saint-Louis-de-Blandford, Quebec. Stealing syrup from Canada doesn’t sound as glamorous as stealing cash from a Vegas casino, but their plan could rival the plot of “Ocean’s Eleven.” At the FPAQ facility, syrup was stored in unmarked metal barrels and only inspected once a year. The heist, led by a man named Richard Vallières, involved transporting the barrels to a remote sugar shack in the Canadian wilderness, where they siphoned off the maple syrup, refilled the barrels with water, and returned the barrels to the facility. The stolen syrup was then trucked east to
New Brunswick and south across the border into Vermont. Wisely, the thieves sold their ill-gotten goods in small batches, avoiding suspicion from legitimate syrup distributors. In what is now known as the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist, thieves made off with 10,000 barrels of maple syrup valued at $18.7 million. This remains one of the most costly heists in Canadian history. Vallières himself became a millionaire and took his family on three tropical vacations in one year. Unfortunately, the thieves got sloppy and stopped refilling the barrels with water. When an FPAQ inspector visited the targeted facility in the fall of 2012, he accidentally
HOWMUCHWILL IT COST? Fees for Hiring a Workers’ Compensation Attorney
“How much will it cost?” It’s a question our firm hears a lot, and it’s a natural one to ask when you’re faced with the uncertainty that comes with a workplace injury. After all, if you’re already dealing with medical bills and lost wages, why risk adding legal fees on top of the financial strain? That’s why Oregon workers’ compensation attorneys use a win-win payment structure. TRANSPARENCY AND OVERSIGHT The Oregon Workers’ Compensation Division (WCD) is the regulatory body that oversees just about every aspect of on-the- job injury claims. They regulate how much insurance companies have to reimburse you for meals and lodging while traveling to and from doctors’ appointments, how much those physicians can charge for their services, and yes, how much attorneys can charge for representing your claim. In fact, after you and your legal team have established a fee agreement, the WCD requires an administrative law judge or department official to approve the deal before it’s paid. RESULTS-BASED PAYMENT Another way you are protected from exorbitant legal fees is your attorney will only be paid if they are successful. This doesn’t
just mean your benefit denial is overturned or you reach a settlement. The attorney has to be “instrumental” in achieving these results. Thus, you don’t have to worry about paying for a lost case or about hiring an attorney only to find their services weren’t needed. Fees only apply when your representative gets you positive results. COSTS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT Sometimes expenses arise as the result of fighting a claim denial. These can include the cost of obtaining medical records or medical expert opinions. In some cases, the court may rule that the insurer pay for these costs, rather than pass them on to the injured worker. Since we don’t want you to have to worry about any surprise fees, our workers’ compensation fee agreement covers all the contingencies of these extra costs. This is all to say that you have nothing to lose by speaking with an experienced Oregon workers’ compensation attorney. Rather than add to the mounting costs of your injury, they can help you secure the benefits you need to get back on your feet.
The Di Bartolomeo Law Office, P.C. 1139 Exchange Street | Astoria, Oregon | 503-325-8600 | www.JoeDiBartolomeo.com
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