One of the men accused in the Faubourg Contrecoeur fraud case has pleaded guilty.

Daniel Gauther, 57, admitted his culpability for one count of conspiracy and two counts of fraud.

Gauthier was the president of urban design company Groupe Gauthier Biancamano Bolduc.

He will be sentenced on March 24, and faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.

Seven other people, including former St. Leonard Mayor Frank Zampino, entrepreneur Paolo Catania, and Union Montreal fundraiser Bernard Trepanier have all pleaded not guilty.

A ninth accused, Martial Filion, has died since the scandal first came to light.

The Contrecoeur affair began in 2007 when the city of Montreal sold the land valued at $31 million to Construction Frank Catania for just $4.4 million.

The Crown intends to prove that Filion arranged for the sale to Catania's firm without getting the necessary permission from the Societé d'habitation et de developpement de Montreal. 

With a file from The Canadian Press