The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor A northern Manitoba mayor denies any wrongdoing as she faces charges of fraud, forgery and theft of mail. Geraldine Cockerill of Leaf Rapids faces 28 charges from incidents police say occurred when she was postmaster of the town's post office in 2009 and 2010. 'I'm an honest person, I'm very helpful to people, so that's how I got in as mayor,' she told CBC. 'It's all the people that got me in there that know exactly what I'm like and know that this is bulls--t.' She told the network she believes the charges stem from a misunderstanding involving an individual who no longer lives in Leaf Rapids. Cockerill, 56, was charged on Dec. 5. Earlier this week, she was served a summons to appear in Leaf Rapids Court this March. Leaf Rapids RCMP said they were contacted in May 2010 by Employment and Income Assistance and Canada Post over suspicious activity at the town's post office. The allegations related to the handling of individuals' Income Security cards and cheques by a Canada Post employee. An investigation began, with the results forwarded to Public Prosecutions, which last month recommended charges. RCMP said the evidence suggests several 'fraudulent transactions' took place between December 2009 and April 2010, including forged signatures on Employment and Income Assistance cards and cheques. Cockerill has been charged with four counts of fraud under $5,000; eight counts of uttering a forged document; eight counts of forgery; and eight counts of theft from mail. She has been mayor of Leaf Rapids, a former mining town of 450 north of Thompson, since 2010. Cockerill told CBC she plans to stay on as mayor while she fights the charges.
