Thunder Bay, Ont., police chief charged with breach of trust, obstructing justice

The police chief of a northwestern Ontario city is facing charges following a five-month investigation into alleged criminal wrongdoing. (Photo: Thunder Bay Police Service/Facebook)

ORILLIA, Ont. — The police chief of a northwestern Ontario city is facing charges following a five-month investigation into alleged criminal wrongdoing.

Ontario Provincial Police say J.P. Levesque, 53, of Thunder Bay, Ont., is charged with breach of trust and obstructing justice.

The police force says in a news release that it was contacted by RCMP in January and asked to conduct an external, independent and thorough investigation.

No other details of the investigation have been released and the OPP says Levesque is to appear in court June 13.

Levesque’s lawyer, Brian Gover, says his client is “a person of outstanding good character.”

Gover says in an email that Levesque, who is on leave, looks forward “to fully responding to the allegations against him.”

“As a police officer, Mr. Levesque has served the people of Thunder Bay in an exemplary manner for 30 years, including as chief of police since July 2011,” he said Tuesday in a statement.