Montreal

Quebec businessman Vincenzo Guzzo charged with criminal harassment

Businessman Vincenzo Guzzo has been charged with criminal harassment and failure to comply with an order not to contact the alleged victim.

Guzzo also charged with failure to respect order not to contact alleged victim

Vincent Guzzo speaking into mic
Vincenzo Guzzo was charged with engaging in criminal harassment against a person between November 2022 and June 2023 and failing to respect the condition not to communicate with this person. (Olivier Lalande/Radio-Canada )

Quebec businessman Vincenzo Guzzo has been arrested and charged with criminal harassment and a breach of conditions.

The news, first reported by Quebecor media, was confirmed by the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP) Tuesday morning.

Guzzo has been charged with engaging in criminal harassment against a person between November 2022 and June 2023. He has also been charged with failing to respect the condition not to communicate, directly or indirectly, with this person.

In a statement, Guzzo said the arrest was an unsettling experience.

"As for the charges, they are contested and vigorously denied," he said.

Guzzo, the president and general manager of Cinémas Guzzo, is a key player in the film industry in Quebec. He also appears on the CBC show Dragons' Den.

He once considered running for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada, but ultimately never took the plunge.