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| John L. Hill |
Buffone, along with co-accused Jeffrey Kompon, is serving a life sentence after being convicted of conspiracy to import and traffic cocaine. Police alleged that from 2011 to 2014, Buffone and Kompon, along with others, hid thousands of kilograms of cocaine inside granite boulders, shipped them from Brazil into Canada, extracted the cocaine and then sold the material in the Greater Toronto and Niagara regions. Kompon was released on day parole in July 2025.
No cocaine was ever found in granite boulders. There was no proof that Buffone or Kompon ever sold any drugs. To make matters worse, police tagged Buffone as head of the “Buffone crime family,” an allegation not pursued at trial but resurrected in Correctional Service of Canada files. The appellation accused Buffone of being a senior member of a traditional crime organization, to be used against him should he apply for a halfway house or parole. It mattered not that there was no evidence of anyone having dealings with or familiarity with the term “Buffone crime family.” The absence of evidence made little difference to police or Crown attorneys seeking to secure a conviction, given that such an extensive investigation had been instigated and overseen by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
In my latest book, Acts of Darkness, I argue that the Canadian justice system unjustly betrayed Jeffrey Kompon and Vito Buffone at nearly every stage. Issues arose from the time of arrest, including irregularities in the jury system and the evidence presented. There is no doubt that drug dealing was ongoing by people with whom Buffone and Kompon worked, but there was no evidence of any involvement on the part of Buffone and Kompon. Still, the joint force investigation named Project Roadmaster cast too wide a net and included Kompon and Buffone, who were completely innocent of such wrongdoing. Their convictions leave an indelible blemish on the Canadian judicial system.
At Buffone’s parole hearing on Dec.17, Buffone’s lawyer, Jessica Zita, who also served as his assistant at the hearing, revealed that her Toronto law firm, Lockyer, Zaduk and Zeeh, intends to submit an application to the minister of justice in the near future seeking a new trial or exoneration for Buffone. Kompon has also indicated that he will bring a similar application to right the wrong he has endured. Nevertheless, it was an uphill battle for Buffone and his assistant, as the Correctional Service of Canada did not support his release.
Similar to the July 18 hearing for Kompon, the hearing was held virtually, with Buffone in an Ontario penitentiary and the board asking its questions via a video link. The board members asked tough questions but showed professionalism and competence. They inquired about Buffone’s past conduct, his participation in prison programs such as chaplaincy and restorative justice, and how he views himself after his prison experiences. They also asked about the effect of his sentence on the community in general and, specifically, on those closest to him. Additionally, they examined Buffone’s release plan.
Similar to the Kompon hearing, the one question the board did not ask was whether Buffone was guilty of the crime. The lead board member, Bruce Malcolm, indicated he was aware of Buffone’s insistence on his innocence but cautioned that the board was required to take the court’s finding of guilt as determinative. Yet the board’s key focus was its determination of the risk Buffone posed to the community if he were released.
The board determined that the risk was manageable, and, for further assurance, the board imposed conditions, such as full financial disclosure and a cellphone inspection, so that Buffone’s community parole officer could be satisfied that Buffone was not involved in nefarious activity. The location of the halfway house where Buffone will be required to reside until full parole is granted has yet to be determined.
A future hearing for full parole and any steps required in seeking exoneration are battles yet to be fought. The degree of freedom granted to Buffone on Dec. 17 will make it easier to push toward the ultimate goal of exoneration and to move closer to having Canada acknowledge its mistake in convicting him.
John L. Hill practised and taught prison law until his retirement. He holds a JD from Queen’s and an LLM in constitutional law from Osgoode Hall. His most recent book, Acts of Darkness (Durvile & UpRoute Books), was released July 1. Hill is also the author of Pine Box Parole: Terry Fitzsimmons and the Quest to End Solitary Confinement (Durvile & UpRoute Books) and The Rest of the (True Crime) Story (AOS Publishing). Contact him at johnlornehill@hotmail.com.
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