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The Sûreté du Québec was investigating the armed robbery when it uncovered the plot to kidnap the two men. Deschênes and an accomplice were arrested while they were on their way to the Rizzuto organization’s hangout in St-Léonard.

On Thursday, Deschênes said there was actually a different motive behind “what happened in 2001.”

“In 2001, they killed the son of my best friend. That is what it was about. It was about loyalty,” he said, without identifying the friend.

Deschênes said that when he was released in 2000 he had no plans to return to organized crime. He had a job and was making an honest living, he said, but the death of his friend’s son “sucked me back” into the criminal milieu.

“I did what I had to do,” he said. “It was loyalty to one person. They killed him for some nebulous reason.”

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In October, Deschênes was granted access to unescorted leave privileges. On Thursday he said he wants to be granted day parole because his longtime girlfriend is very ill and he wants to be able to comfort her before she dies. He told the two parole board members that he is willing to wear an GPS-locator bracelet in order to be released.

“I am now loyal to the people I love,” Deschênes said after his parole officer informed the board that his case management team — the people who prepare an offender for a release — supports his release plan.

Deschênes went on to say that if he happened to meet someone from the organized-crime milieu today, while out on parole, he would be polite but would also report the encounter to his parole officer.