A Thunder Bay Police Service sergeant has been hit with Police Act charges.
Sgt. Jim Mauro has been charged with deceit and discreditable conduct in connection with an October 2009 arbitration hearing. During the hearing, Mauro submitted a letter to the arbitrator in support of his position was claimed to be from then Thunder Bay Police Association president Keith Hobbs.
It is alleged that the letter did not come from Hobbs, but that Mauro had actually written it himself. Mauro has been suspended from duty pending the outcome of a Police Act hearing.
In response to the charges, the current head of the association, Greg Stephenson, said the organization fully supports its member. He added that he is disappointed Sgt. Mauro was not placed on other duties rather than being suspended.
Former association president Hobbs called the charges a witch-hunt and said the situation has been blown out of proportion.
Mauro, who at one time served as Police Association president, has faced previous charges under the Act.
He served a 32-hour suspension in connection with prank 911 calls that were made on Christmas Day in 2006 that were said to be sexual and racist in nature.
