Montrealer who took part in Mafia hit is back behind bars

Kevin Tate, a Montrealer serving a 15-year sentence for his involvement in the 2013 murder of Gaétan Gosselin, has been returned to prison after violating the terms of his statutory release by socializing with known criminals in a bar.

The Parole Board of Canada revoked Tate’s statutory release last week. He had been part of the conspiracy to kill Gosselin, a close associate of Mob leader Raynald Desjardins. Gosselin was killed during a period of upheaval within the Montreal Mafia, as the Rizzuto organization faced internal challenges. Desjardins appeared to align with a faction opposing the continued leadership of those loyal to the Rizzutos. Gosselin was both Desjardins's business associate and long-time friend.

Tate, who pleaded guilty to his role in Gosselin's murder, admitted to tracking the victim for two days but claimed he didn’t know who Gosselin was or why he was conducting surveillance. The hit is believed to have been ordered from Toronto by Harry Mytil, a street gang leader who was murdered in Laval three months after Gosselin's killing.

Tate became eligible for statutory release in May 2023, which is automatically granted to most federal prisoners in Canada after they serve two-thirds of their sentence if they haven't received parole earlier. After his release, Tate was required to live in a halfway house, a condition that was lifted in January. However, his troubles began shortly after.

In February, Tate violated geographic restrictions imposed by the parole board, although he claimed it was only to settle a ticket at a municipal courthouse. In April, cannabis was found in his home, but his trip to a bar ultimately led to the suspension of his release.

In June 2024, police surveillance inside the bar spotted Tate in the company of known criminals. According to the parole board's decision, when he noticed the officers, Tate attempted to flee but was apprehended. He was not forthcoming with police and changed his story several times. One of the individuals Tate was seen speaking with had connections to a biker gang, while another person present was a member of a separate criminal organization. Tate was prohibited from associating with known criminals and from being inside bars as part of the conditions of his release.

Tate, who had past affiliations with the BoGars and Unit 44 street gangs, denied knowing the biker and claimed ignorance of the other man’s ties to organized crime. He expressed having no interest in associating with such individuals due to a bounty on his head, but his account conflicted with the police report, which indicated he was seated with highly criminalized individuals.

In 2022, police from the Sûreté du Québec had informed Tate while he was still in prison that his life was in danger.

This is the second homicide sentence Tate is serving. In 2005, he was sentenced to three years for manslaughter after an incident in 2003, where a bar argument escalated, and Tate fired a shot that ricocheted and accidentally killed his friend.