The 80-year-old mayor of a small Canadian town was charged with theft after he allegedly took five different trips to a liquor store and carried out a bottle of Bacardi without paying.
Prosecutors charged John Dalzell, Mayor of Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs in Québec, with theft under $5,000 for allegedly stealing the liquor on October 28, November 11, November 29 of last year and February 3 of this year, CTV News reported.
The alleged thefts all took place at the Societe des alcools du Quebec, according to the outlet.
'He stole from the SAQ a bottle of Bacardi,' court documents cited by CTV stated next to every charge.
Dalzell pled not guilty, but is due back in court on January 22.
The Mayor previously held the position of Montreal's deputy police chief, according to the Montreal Gazette.
He retired from the Montreal Urban Community police department in 1995 and then worked for the police service of Canadian National.
He ran for mayor of Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs unopposed in 2025, CTV reported.
John Danzell, Mayor of Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs was accused of stealing five bottles of Bacardi from a liquor store across multiple trips last year
The alleged thefts occurred at Societe des alcools du Quebec, a liquor store chain in Quebec
Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs is a small municipality located in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada
According to the charge sheet, Dalzell allegedly carried out a bottle of Bacardi out of the grocery store without paying on five separate occasions
Dalzell is also part of the Pays-d'en-Haut MRC (Municipalite regionale de comte) Council, according to the outlet.
An MRC spokesperson Martin Bujold told CTV that the council is aware of the theft charges.
'We take this situation seriously and understand the concerns it may raise,' Bujold told the outlet.
Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs is a 4,000-person municipality located in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada.
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