Former OBAC accountant plans to plead guilty

OSHAWA, Ont. (March 2, 2004) — A plea hearing in the case of Tony Leckie was adjourned until March 29, but that didn’t stop the former Owner-Operator’s Business Association of Canada accountant from telling Today’s Trucking he’ll likely plead guilty later this month.

Leckie — who turned himself in to Durham Region police on January 15. and subsequently charged with fraud over $5,000 — was told in an Oshawa court appearance today that he will have until March 29 to obtain legal aid, at which point he must enter a plea.

But in an exclusive interview with Jim Park, Today’s Trucking contributing editor and editor of highwaySTAR magazine, Leckie indicated his mind is already made up. “My plea should be obvious,” he said outside the courthouse.

In 2002, OBAC filed a police report alleging Leckie had taken financial documents and funds. Neither OBAC nor the police were able to contact Leckie at the time.

Leckie wouldn’t confirm where he was while authorities were looking for him over the last year — except to say he spent a lot of time at the “casino.” He did admit that his current legal troubles are a result of a five-year battle with clinical depression, adding he doesn’t even know how much money was stolen. (OBAC’s unofficial audit puts the figure between $50,000 and $80,000).

“I have no idea how much money was stolen … it meant nothing to me,” he said. “Life itself meant nothing … Gambling was a byproduct of my depression.”

Although he’s filing for bankruptcy, Leckie says he plans to make some sort of restitution to OBAC, as well as write a letter of apology to the association. “This whole thing has nothing to do with the good people involved with OBAC,” he said.