A former union branch representative with the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) is facing charges in connection with allegedly misappropriating more than $100,000 in union funds, police say.
Mark Babcook, the former branch president of OPSEU Local 228, was charged with fraud over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime, Peel police said in a news release on Wednesday.
Babcook, 41, was arrested on Sept. 19. The arrest came after OPSEU conducted its own internal investigation and contacted Peel Regional Police with evidence that led to a criminal investigation, police said.
Police said the alleged misconduct is believed to have occurred between Dec. 10, 2023, and Nov. 4, 2024. They were contacted on March 21, 2025, after the union finished its internal investigation, a Peel police spokesperson said via email.
Babcook was not in his role with the union when arrest, police added.
In an email on Wednesday, Babcook said he could not comment on the matter since it is before the courts.
Babcook was released on the condition that he would appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton at a later date, according to police.
He is due to appear in court on Oct. 20 at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton.
CBC Toronto reached out to OPSEU on Wednesday for additional comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Investigators are asking anyone with information about to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
