Stéphane Guillo, former owner of Passion Nautic Club in Arzon, Morbihan, has been sentenced by the Vannes criminal court in France in a case involving the sale and brokerage of pleasure boats.
Following a hearing in June 2026, the court sentenced Guillo on 3 September 2026 to 18 months in prison, including eight months of actual imprisonment and ten months suspended with a two-year probation period.
The case involved estimated losses of about €900,000 affecting around 50 victims, including private individuals and boating-industry professionals.
The facts examined by the court related to the period between 2017 and 2022. Proceedings began in 2021 after several complaints were made about the company’s business practices.
Issues raised in court included boat-sale proceeds that were not remitted, transactions involving vessels with debts or mortgages attached, false invoices and the continuation of business activity despite depleted cash reserves.
New and used boats
During the proceedings Guillo admitted mistakes had been made, but denied fraudulent intent. The court acquitted him of the fraud charges originally brought against him but found him guilty of breach of trust and bankruptcy-related offences.
At the June hearing, prosecutors had requested a 10-month suspended sentence with probation and a 10-year ban on holding a management position. The judgment instead resulted in a partly custodial sentence and a ban on starting a business.
Passion Nautic Club was founded in 2013 and operated in the trade and brokerage of new and used boats.
The company was also known for importing Dutch rotomoulded Whaly boats and had sought to develop a distribution network for recreational and professional customers.
The dealership, based at Port du Crouesty, entered court-supervised receivership in November 2022, with cessation of payments dated to May 2021.
The Vannes commercial court ordered the company’s liquidation in April 2023.
