The Keith Hobbs trial: A timeline

The trial of former Thunder Bay mayor Keith Hobbs, his wife Marisa, and Mary Voss, on charges of extortion is scheduled to begin Monday.

While many details remain unknown, or subject to publication bans (such as the identity of the victim of the alleged extortion) CBC Thunder Bay has compiled a timeline of the events so far, sourced through court and police documents, as well as recent court proceedings.

Timeline

• On or about October 25, 2016: A video is recorded showing the victim of the alleged extortion, along with Keith Hobbs and several other people. 
• October 25, 2016: Craig Loverin, a friend of the victim, receives a call from Keith Hobbs, who warns him to be careful about signing any affidavits on behalf of the victim. According to testimony heard in court in December, Keith Hobbs also asked Loverin to try to persuade the victim to purchase a house for Thunder Bay resident Mary Voss.

• Between October 19 and November 20, 2016: According to court documents, Keith Hobbs, Marisa Hobbs, and Mary Voss allegedly attempt to induce the victim to purchase a house for Voss. In doing so, court documents say, they used "threats, accusations or menaces of disclosing criminal allegations to the police, thereby committing extortion."

• November 17, 2016: Hobbs calls Loverin, requesting to meet. The two meet late in the evening in the parking lot of a local grocery store. Hobbs gives Loverin a USB stick, telling him that it contains videos that are "unfavourable to" the victim, court documents show. Keith Hobbs asks Loverin to give the USB stick to the victim, so the victim "would know how much trouble" they were in.
• November 18, 2016: Loverin gives the USB stick to the victim, and they watch some of the videos it contains. 
• November 19, 2016: According to the statement of claim filed by Keith Hobbs, which hasn't been proven in court, the victim "verbally warns" Keith Hobbs that he would "submarine and bury him" as a result of Mayor Keith Hobbs indicating that he would be contacting the police with information concerning serious allegations of sexual impropriety.
• November 25, 2016: The extortion victim is arrested by Thunder Bay police, and faces a number of charges. All details are subject to a publication ban. Later, during former Thunder Bay Police Chief J.P. Levesque's trial, Loverin would testify that Keith and Marisa Hobbs had begun attending dinners and other events at the victim's home in the months prior to the arrest.
• December 8, 2016: Loverin approaches RCMP officers from the Thunder Bay detachment while they were getting their vehicles washed at the business where Loverin works — one of the officers was also a friend of Loverin's — and asks for advice regarding his interactions with Keith Hobbs. Loverin tells them he isn't comfortable going to the city police due to the victim's criminal charges. They ask him to provide a formal statement at the local detachment the next day.
• December 9, 2016: Loverin provides a video-taped statement, under oath, to the RCMP, providing details of his interactions with Keith Hobbs over the preceding months.
• December 14, 2016: Two members of the RCMP meet with Levesque, now-retired deputy chief Andy Hay, and then-Insp. Sylvie Hauth (who has since been appointed Thunder Bay's police chief) to discuss Loverin's statement. It's agreed that city police will take over the investigation, with the intent of passing it on to an outside agency, such as the OPP. RCMP couldn't continue, as they don't have jurisdiction to investigate local crimes in Thunder Bay.
• December 21, 2016: Andy Hay officially retires as deputy police chief. At his retirement function, Levesque tells Keith Hobbs about the RCMP investigation.

• December 22, 2016: Sylvie Hauth is named acting deputy chief. Meanwhile, RCMP is contacted by two city police officers, who say Keith Hobbs contacted them and asked about the extortion allegations. The RCMP contacts Levesque, who, according to court documents, apologizes, saying he neglected to inform them about his conversation with Hobbs the previous day. Court documents show Thunder Bay RCMP detachment commander Normand Roy contacts his superiors in London, Ont., and it's decided that the RCMP would refer the investigation to the OPP.
• Between December 21, 2016, and May 7, 2017: According to court documents, Keith and Marisa Hobbs allegedly "attempt to obstruct the course of justice in a judicial proceeding by interfering in a criminal investigation into an allegation of extortion reported to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police."
• January 2017: OPP launch an investigation relating to "allegations of criminal wrongdoing" involving a municipal politician after receiving a request from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

• Mid-January 2017: Sylvie Hauth officially becomes deputy chief of the Thunder Bay Police Service.
• January 26, 2017: Loverin, a member of the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve in Thunder Bay, attends a Veterans Affairs event. Keith Hobbs and Normand Roy are also there. Loverin would later testify during Levesque's trial that as he left the event, Keith Hobbs accused him of lying. Keith Hobbs also said he was willing to take a polygraph test. Roy would later testify in court that Keith Hobbs spoke to him about Loverin's statement, saying he couldn't believe the RCMP sent it to Ottawa for investigation. Roy also testified Keith Hobbs threatened to add Roy to his lawsuit.
• Late February, 2017: Loverin receives correspondence from a law firm, informing him that Keith Hobbs was going to sue Loverin over statements the latter made about the former.
• March 17, 2017: Keith Hobbs files a notice of action, signaling his intent to file a lawsuit against the victim and another individual.
• May 23, 2017: Thunder Bay police chief J.P. Levesque, while on medical leave, is charged with obstructing justice and breach of trust by the OPP, over Levesque's alleged disclosure of confidential information about Keith Hobbs. The charges would later be dismissed.

• Thursday, May 25: The Thunder Bay Police Services Board places Levesque on administrative suspension.

• April 13, 2017: Keith Hobbs files a statement of claim against the victim and another individual over alleged defamation. According to the statement, Hobbs seeks general damages of $750,000, special damages of $100,000, and punitive damages of $100,000. The document notes that the second individual named in the suit was employed by the victim at "all material times."
• June 2, 2017: Deputy police chief Sylvie Hauth is appointed acting Thunder Bay police chief.
• July 19, 2017: Keith Hobbs goes on leave from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation's (MPAC) board. An MPAC spokeswoman says the leave is for 90 days; it's unknown whether Hobbs requested it, or if it was initiated by MPAC.
• July 21, 2017: Ontario Provincial Police issue a release indicating Keith and Marisa Hobbs, as well as Voss, have all been charged with extortion. Keith and Marisa Hobbs are also charged with obstruction of justice. OPP Staff Sgt. Carolle Dionne told CBC News the charges stem from the same investigation that led to charges against Levesque.

• December 4, 2017: The trial for Levesque gets underway. In an earlier proceeding, Levesque elected to be tried by judge alone. Loverin is the first witness called to testify by Crown attorney Jason Nicol.
• December 2017: During his trial, Levesque testified he informed Keith Hobbs about the charges out of concern that the mayor would react badly, as Keith Hobbs was "unpredictable." Levesque was worried Keith Hobbs would find out about the investigation regardless, and blindside Hauth while Levesque was away on vacation. Levesque was scheduled to be out of the office until mid-January 2017. The Crown, meanwhile, attempts to paint Levesque's actions as a "scheme."

• January 25, 2018: Justice Bonnie Warkentin dismisses all charges against Levesque, saying the police chief acted "in good faith" when he spoke with Hobbs, and exercising his discretion in doing so "was not improper."
• January 26, 2018: The Thunder Bay Police Services Board revokes Levesque's administrative suspension, clearing him to return to work.
• January 29, 2018: Levesque returns to work as Thunder Bay's police chief. Hauth returns to her position as deputy chief.
• February 21, 2018: Four charges against the victim are dropped due to lack of evidence.
• February 23, 2018: Levesque attends his first Thunder Bay Police Services Board meeting since returning to his position.
• April 10, 2018: Keith Hobbs tells CBC News that he's considering running for a third term as Thunder Bay mayor.
• April 26, 2018: Levesque announces his retirement.
• August 30, 2018: Keith Hobbs, Marisa Hobbs, and Voss are ordered to stand trial on extortion charges (Keith and Marisa Hobbs were also ordered to stand trial on charges of obstruction of justice, but those would later be dropped). Brian Greenspan will represent Keith and Marisa Hobbs, while Thunder Bay lawyer George Joseph will represent Voss.
• September 18, 2018: The Crown drops the obstruction of justice charges that had been laid against Keith and Marisa Hobbs.
• October 22, 2018: A municipal election takes place in Thunder Bay. Hobbs is not on the ballot.
• November 1, 2018: Hauth is named Thunder Bay's new chief of police.
• January 28, 2019: The date of the trial for Keith Hobbs, Marisa Hobbs, and Voss is set for Nov. 18, 2019. The trial is expected to take three weeks.
• June 25, 2019: A nine-day pre-trial for Keith Hobbs, Marisa Hobbs, and Voss begins in Thunder Bay. Details about the proceedings were subject to a publication ban, however Crown prosecutor Peter Keen said 19 witnesses were expected to testify.

The trial for Keith Hobbs, Marisa Hobbs, and Mary Voss is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 18 at the Thunder Bay Consolidated Courthouse.