Choking back tears, Benoit Roberge told the court Thursday his life has been destroyed and that his family is suffering.
Roberge was a high ranking Montreal police investigator who sold police information to the Hells Angels.
Roberge is pleading guilty to charges of gangsterism and breach of trust.
The 28-year police veteran apologized to the public and said he takes responsibility for his actions.
“It's his only occasion to express the degree of regret that he had,” said his lawyer, Richard Perras.
The former biker gang expert said he first began selling sensitive information to the Hells Angels because he feared for his family's safety.
In his court address Roberge urged other police officers to ask for help if they feel similarly trapped, but the crown prosecutor told the judge he doesn't know what motivated Roberge to turn over police secrets.
Roberge was arrested last October after a double agent caught him trying to buy incriminating recordings of himself making deals with Hells Angel Rene Charlebois.
Roberge was offered $125,000 by the biker gang in exchange for information.
Caught in his own web, Roberge is now cooperating with police.
“(He) recently gave a complete statement to the police, the money he received or nearly 95 per cent of it was recovered,” said Perras.
But Roberge's move to the dark side had repercussions; the information he passed on endangered lives and seriously compromised investigations, both in terms of results and financially, and cost taxpayers as much as a million dollars.
Crown prosecutor Maxime Chevalier said Roberge's impact on police investigations still resonates today. Chevalier said police forces -- the RCMP, Quebec provincial police and Montreal police fight organized crime as a team -- have been in damage control and have had to take "laborious and important" measures.
Prior to stepping down, Roberge had a good reputation, a clean record and the confidence of his superiors and his colleagues. He was involved in no fewer than 40 cases and testified across Quebec and even in Ontario and New Brunswick.
His spouse, Nancy Potvin, is a Crown prosecutor who is involved in organized crime cases. She has been on leave since Roberge's arrest last fall but is not linked to her husband's illegal activities.
Each charge Roberge faces carries a penalty of five years. The prosecution has asked for four years each, for a total of eight year behind bars.
The defence wants his sentence reduced by time served.
Roberge’s sentencing hearing will take place April 4.
-- with files from The Canadian Press
