THUNDER BAY - The extortion case against Thunder Bay mayor, Keith Hobbs, continues to make its way through court, as counsel prepares to conduct a preliminary hearing next month.
During a confirmation hearing in a Thunder Bay Courtroom on Wednesday, defense council, Brian Greenspan, and Crown prosecutor, Peter Keen, said via telephone that they are prepared to proceed to a preliminary hearing, which will begin on June 25.
The preliminary hearing is expected to take nine days and counsel expects to go through 19 witnesses.
Ontario Provincial Police first charged Hobbs, along with his wife Marissa Hobbs and Thunder Bay resident, Mary Voss, in July 2017 with extortion. Keith and Marissa Hobbs are also each facing an additional charge of obstruction of justice.
According to court documents, the charges against Keith and Marisa Hobbs and Voss allege the three of them attempted to “induce Alexander 'Sandy' Zaitzeff to purchase a house, by threats, accusations or menace of disclosing criminal allegations to the police, thereby committing extortion."
Zaitzeff, a former Thunder Bay attorney, recently pleaded guilty to one count of invitation to sexual touching, two counts of assault, and one count of possessing a firearm without a licence and was sentenced to 12 months probation. All other charges against him were withdrawn.
Keith and Marissa Hobbs and Voss were not present in court. Voss’s attorney, George Joseph, was present on Wednesday.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
