CANADA
Ottawa Citizen
BY MEGHAN HURLEY, OTTAWA CITIZEN DECEMBER 20, 2013
OTTAWA — All of the witnesses subpoenaed to testify at the preliminary hearing for Rev. Joseph Leclair have been cancelled, suggesting a plea deal may be in the works.
The witnesses were contacted by Ottawa police Friday — a month before the Jan. 20 preliminary hearing was set to begin — to inform them they were no longer needed.
The Citizen has also learned that several days set aside for the former Blessed Sacrament Church pastor’s preliminary hearing have been cancelled.
Leclair’s lawyer, Matthew Webber, would not comment Friday.
Leclair was charged with fraud, theft, money laundering and breach of trust in July 2012 after an 11-month police investigation.
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