Born in 1953, Maurice Boucher's family moved to Montreal when he was two. A grade nine dropout, he turned first to odd jobs. Later he would develop a drug habit which he would turn to crime to support. He was first arrested in 1974 for B&Es. The following year he was caught for armed robbery and sent to prison for 40 months.
By 1982, Boucher was in a Montreal motorcycle gang. He spent another 40 months in prison during the mid-80s, but joined the Hells Angels shortly after his release in 1987. He was very successful in the Hells Angels, becoming president of the Montreal chapter by 1994.
Boucher wanted to take over the business activities of rival motorcyle gang the Rock Machine. The struggle for control led to the commencement of the Quebec Biker War in 1994. In 1997, while the conflict raged, Boucher apparently ordered the murder of two correctional officers. Supposedly, his motivations were twofold: 1) to unhinge the Quebec justice system; 2) to dissuade the justice system from making deals with bikers (due to the seriousness of their crimes).
At first, in 1998, Boucher was acquitted of the murders. However, he was convicted of them in 2002.
If I recall correctly, "Mom" Boucher came to my attention in 2001. He was in a national paper - I guess because of his trial. How I remember the story is this: In a Quebec prison, a Hells Angel was cornered by some inmates from the Rock Machine. They had a picture of "Mom" Boucher and told the Angel he had to step on it or else receive a terrible beating. Rather than step on the picture of Mom, the Angel chose the beating.
I'm under the impression that Maurice Boucher received the nickname "Mom" because he took great care of the members of his gang. In effect, he was like another "Mom" to them.
Maurice "Mom" Boucher currently resides in the super maximum security facility at Sainte Anne des Plaines in Quebec. He will be eligible for parole in 2027, at age 74.
Wikipedia was a source for this article.
