CORNWALL, Ontario – Former city councillor Brock Frost has pleaded guilty in a Quebec court concerning fraud charges filed against him last year.
Frost, who resigned his council seat later in 2015, has received one year’s probation and must complete 200 hours of community service, Levis, Que. police spokesperson Guylaine Laflamme said in an interview with Seaway News.
Laflamme also said Frost must pay $200 to the court within 45 days.
The court ruled that Frost receive a discharge, added Laflamme.
In a media release sent out later Frost elaborated on the incident, saying the discharge is conditional upon him completing the community service hours, adding he “couldn’t be happier with the outcome.”
A charge of uttering a forged document against Frost was withdrawn during the court proceedings and a charge of fraud over $5,000 was modified to fraud under $5,000.
The charges stemmed from Frost’s ownership of the Cornwall River Kings, where he provided a cheque to the league for the team which was not honoured.
Frost said he opted against going to trial on the matter.
“Given the circumstances and carefully considering all of the potential outcomes, I am more than happy with the way things turned out,” he said in a statement. “My choice to accept the conditional discharge was frankly the least expensive, most efficient and most pragmatic option I could make.
“This entire case was nothing more than a misunderstanding that was drastically blown out of proportion. I am simply glad it is over and I can now finally move on.”
Conditional discharges do not immediately pardon an individual of guilty criminal behaviour. It places the burden on the individual to prove oneself over time and in specific terms. If the probation orders are fully performed, the individual is absolved of the offence.