Helicopter jail escapees get one year behind bars for break

The three men who escaped from Orsainville Detention Centre near Quebec City via helicopter over the summer have been sentenced to an additional year behind bars for their jail break.

Yves Denis, 35, Denis Lefebvre, 53, and Serge Pomerleau, 49, pleaded guilty to the escapeat a Quebec City courtroomFriday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, the three men weresentenced on the original charges they faced at the time of theescape: charges ofdrug trafficking, gangsterism and conspiracy.

Denis was sentenced to 16 years in prison, while Lefebvre was handed 20 years, and Pomerleauwas given 22 years.

Pomerleau was also fined $3.2 million and Lefebvre, $1.3 million. If they do not pay these fines in the next five years, they will have to spend another seven and five years in jail, respectively.

Helicopter escape

The men were imprisoned under the tightest security measures available to the Orsainvillejail authorities.

Yet the helicopter was able to land in a yard within the institutions walls, where it was able to pick upthe men and flythem away.

The trio wasrecaptured on June 22, after police tracked them down ata condominium in Montreals Old Port district.

Hells Angels links

The three men were originally arrested in 2010 in a drug bust known as Project Crayfish on several charges, including drug trafficking and murder.

During the bust, police seized multiple weapons, 41 vehicles, a plane, a helicopter and $905,000.

The threeare suspected of having ties to the Hells Angels biker gang.