The former mayor of Boisbriand has begun serving a jail sentence for fraud and conspiracy.

Robert Poirier was admitted to custody on Friday morning to begin serving his 18 month sentence.

Once he is released he will be on probation for three years.

Poirier was mayor of Boisbriand from 1998 until 2005.

Last September Poirier was found guilty of conspiring to give the engineering firm Roche several lucrative contracts.

Poirier was charged in April 2011 as part of Operation Hammer. He was arrested along with former Roche engineer France Michaud and Sylvie St-Jean, who was mayor before Poirier, and Lino Zambito and Giuseppe Zambito of the now defunct Infrabec construction company.

The Zambitos (Giuseppe is Lino's father) and St-Jean pleaded guilty to their criminal actions.

Michaud was also found guilty, and was supposed to be sentenced in March, but that hearing was delayed until June because Michaud was in poor health.