Christopher Labreche was charged in September

Greater Sudbury Police Const. Christopher Labreche pleaded guilty to one count of fraud in Sudbury court Friday, the force announced in a news release.

Labreche was charged in September 2015 with fraud under $5,000 and uttering forged documents in relation to accusations he submitted false benefits claims to Manulife Financial between January 2013 and March 2015. Since then, Labreche has been assigned to administrative duties.

In a news release, Chief Paul Pedersen said the police service has confidence in the court system and its decision.

“It is disturbing that an officer sworn to uphold the law has committed a criminal offence,” Pedersen says in the release. “Be assured that this is not indicative of the professional service that our officers provide day in and day out. The judicial system is in place to hold offenders accountable.

“Constable Labreche still faces Police Services Act discipline related to the charges stemming from these allegations.”

Pedersen said Labreche will remain on administrative duties until those matters are dealt with, “which is expected to resume next month.

“As such, I am not in a position to offer any further comment at this time.”

Labreche was also charged with assault in January 2015 in connection to a 2014 incident where he allegedly threw a young man face-first into a police cell window, breaking the glass. Those charges were later dropped.

While Labreche is guilty, Sudbury Police said in a separate release that the North Bay Crown Attorney’s Office has asked to have criminal charges against Const. Kathryn Howard withdrawn.

Howard was charged at the same time as Labreche, also with fraud under $5,000 and uttering forged documents for allegedly submitting false benefits claims to Manulife Financial between January 2013 and March 2015. Howard has been assigned to administrative duties since then.

“Constable Howard will still face a Police Services Act hearing related to the charges stemming from these allegations,” Pedersen says in the release. “She will remain in her current non-operational assignment until such time that these matters are dealt with through this process.”