THUNDER BAY - Much like Keith Hobbs, his wife Marisa steadfastly denied all allegations of extortion during an emotionally charged statement to police.
The extortion trial against former Thunder Bay mayor Keith Hobbs, his wife Marisa, and local resident Mary Voss continued on Thursday, with the court being shown a videotaped statement by Marisa Hobbs to Ontario Provincial Police Det. Insp. Martin Graham.
The video, which is just under two hours in length, shows a visibly emotional and distressed Hobbs as she repeatedly denied allegations of extortion as it relates to the purchase of a house for Voss. According to Hobbs, she and Keith were only trying to help Voss get away from the alleged victim.
“I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong,” Hobbs said. “I just thought get her safe. Away from him and her own place.”
On Wednesday, the court was shown the videotaped statement from Keith Hobbs, which became heated and confrontational at times.
In the statement with Marisa Hobbs, Graham asked her several times about the agreement that was drafted by Keith Hobbs in the mayor’s office that stated the victim would purchase a house worth more than $400,000 in Gemstone Estates.
Marisa Hobbs said Keith was asked to draft the agreement by the victim.
“I didn’t think we were doing anything wrong,” she said. “I swear to god. He signed it. We had lunch after.”
But Graham raised the question about a $250,000 house on Edward Street that the alleged victim agreed to purchase for Voss.
“As soon as you inject yourself into Mary’s life, the cost of the house increases,” Graham said.
“No, you got it wrong,” Hobbs said. “She didn’t want the $250,000 house.”
Hobbs added Voss did not want the house on Edward Street because the street was too busy and it was not safe.
Graham also repeatedly asked Hobbs why she and Keith did not immediately go to police after learning of possible criminal actions by the alleged victim.
“You’re trying to say we were never going to go to the police, but we intended to always go to the police,” Hobbs said.
“Your actions speak otherwise,” Graham said. “The only reason you go to the police is when this agreement becomes null and void.”
Hobbs was adamant in the video that she and Keith were only trying to help Voss and that the agreement was only to ensure she had a place to stay.
“Maybe he’s guilty of bad judgment. He’s not a bully,” Marisa Hobbs said of Keith drafting the agreement. “This is garbage what’s going on. We stayed too long in that relationship. I’m guilty of that. I’m guilty of trying to get Mary a safe home.”
Hobbs also stated repeatedly that they had every intention of going to police, though Voss was reluctant.
“You are taking the words of creeps. We wanted her to sign so he would leave her alone and then Keith and I were going to go to the police,” she said. “Keith did what (the victim) wanted him to do and we didn’t think there was anything wrong with that.”
Graham asked Hobbs about disturbing videos showing the alleged victim acting erratically and using vulgar and offensive language.
“He actually said he ended up getting the videos from an officer with the police,” Graham said. “He made an elaborate story that a person at the police department owed him a favour.”
“That is a total frigging lie,” Hobbs said. “That is a lie.”
In Keith Hobbs’ statement, he said the alleged victim wrote in a letter to a lawyer that Hobbs will regret the day he was born.
“(The victim) was right,” Marisa Hobbs said. “He was going to ruin Keith, he was going to ruin me. And you believe this guy. We’re being honest here.”
“Why would you help somebody you didn’t know?” Graham asked.
“Keith said no good deed goes unpunished, and now we’re being punished.”
Hobbs added that if we were extorting the victim, why would they be breaking bread together, referring to the lunch after the agreement was signed by Keith and Marisa Hobbs, the victim, and Voss.
Graham said that any person who reads the agreement has no question about its intent.
“This is like a frigging horror movie,” Hobbs said. “It’s not true. If you are going to extort someone, you are going to extort them for you, not someone you just met. We were always going to go to the police.”
“We are guilty of being stupid,” Hobbs continued. “I didn’t think that was extortion.”
Video statement by Voss to police
The first half of a videotaped statement between Voss and Graham was also shown to the court Thursday afternoon.
The video was recorded on March 16, 2017 at the RCMP detachment and is two hours and 40 minutes in length.
During the statement, Voss referred to notes she had prepared in November 2016 and Graham asked her if she was told to make notes by anyone.
“No. When I went to the police and gave my statement, they said if I remember anything I should write it down,” she said.
In the first half of her statement, Voss recalled details of her interactions with the alleged victim, including doing housework for him and being asked to quit her two jobs.
“(The victim) begged me to take his money,” Voss said. “That was in July 2016. It was on the kitchen table. He said, Mary, whenever I leave you money, he said please take it.”
According to Voss, the victim gave her $2,000 a month, which she used to buy groceries.
“He is the boss,” she said. “He controlled me like a freak. I can’t say nothing. I can’t talk.”
Voss also shared details of a house for sale on Edward Street for $250,000, which she said the victim wanted to purchase for her after she sold her house.
“He wanted to buy me that house because I don’t have nothing in my name,” she said. “From the beginning, I said, okay, if you want to buy me a house, that’s fine.”
But Voss said she did not want the house on Edward Street because it did not have enough parking and backed out onto a busy street.
In the video, Voss also described the first time Keith and Marisa Hobbs met with the victim and she said she was excited to meet the mayor.
According to Voss, the victim was very intoxicated at the time.
She also described how the victim’s intoxication would cause problems and how she was too afraid to go to police.
“I was so scared to call the police,” she said. “So scared because I came from a third world country. I saw dead bodies on the street.”
Justice Fletcher Dawson will view the rest of the video outside of court. Court will resume on Monday morning.
Complete coverage of Hobbs trial:
Day 1: Keith Hobbs trial starts today
Witness testifies of interactions between Hobbs and alleged extortion victim
Day 2: Details of extortion allegations heard at Hobbs trial
Day 3: Videos from USB drive given by Hobbs shown in court
Day 4: Alleged extortion victim calls behaviour in videos horrid and awful
'Pack your toothbrush' Hobbs alleged warned extortion victim
Day 5: Alleged extortion victim trying to ‘buy silence:’ Greenspan
Day 6: Alleged extortion victim believes Voss was ‘swayed’ by Keith and Marisa Hobbs
Witness testifies of agreement signed between alleged extortion victim and accused
Day 7: More details emerge of alleged victim’s state in fall 2016 and the discovery of a will
Day 8: Homeowner testifies of Marisa Hobbs and Voss viewing $429,000 home
‘I have never extorted anyone’ Hobbs says during videotaped statement with OPP
