Officer admits he got loans by fraud

CHATHAM The excuses a veteran Chatham-Kent police officer who was paid $110,000 per year gave people he knew to try to get money out of them fit three themes, the Crown says.

He told people he was strapped for cash and needed to pay a child’s university tuition; that he had alcohol and drug-addicted sisters who had taken money from his mother he needed to repay; and that someone he had borrowed money from was calling in the loan early, threatening to go to his wife or superiors at work if he didn’t pay up.

Suspended with pay for more than three years, but facing certain dismissal once his court case is done, Sgt. Robert Mugridge will have to wait until next year to find out his punishment after pleading guilty Monday to a single count of defrauding the public of about $247,000 in loans from 44 victims.

Why exactly the 29-year veteran of the force needed the money, hasn’t come out in court yet.

But Glen Donald, the 52-year-old officer’s lawyer, said his client was “teetering on the verge of bankruptcy” when obtaining the loans.

“He had a duty to tell people their money was at risk and he would be unlikely able to pay them back,” Donald said.

Little more about the root of Mugridge’s fraud was said in Monday’s hearing — that’s expected later — but Ontario Superior Court Justice Scott Campbell asked the officer if he acknowledged the essential elements of his offences.

Mugridge had faced 51 counts of fraud valued at more than $5,000 each, rolled into one count for his plea.

The judge asked the officer if he was making his plea voluntarily. “Yes, sir,” Mugridge said. The Crown presented an “abbreviated” statement of facts covering January 2009 to December 2014, when the loans were fraudulently obtained from family, friends, coworkers and other acquaintances.

Assistant Crown attorney Adam Campbell said the long and the short of it, is that Mugridge’s excuses for needing the money “proved to be untrue.”

The assistant Crown attorney said the exact amount of money is still to be determined, but more than $247,000 was obtained using the excuses.

At least nine times, he said, Mugridge was in full uniform when he obtained loans.

Twice, it happened at Chatham-Kent police headquarters.

Court also heard 10 people were repaid a total of $45,000 after threatening to go to his wife or police chief.

Mugridge has been suspended with pay since May 2014.

The officer’s dismissal was decided when he pleaded guilty to 50 counts of discreditable conduct during a Police Services Act hearing Feb. 14 in Chatham.

Donald told the court there will be no joint submission for sentencing. However, he added the sentencing may be a “little bit complicated” since he will be filing a medical report.

The judge ordered a pre-sentencing report and said the court will accommodate anyone who wants to read a victim statement, or submit a character reference for Mugridge.

Mugridge’s sentencing hearing is scheduled Jan. 9.