A local man charged with fraud and theft made a brief appearance in Cranbrook Law Courts on Monday, but won’t plead guilty or not guilty until February.
Mike Gould was charged with the alleged fraud of a local restaurant using bogus cheques, appearing in court through a lawyer, who requested an adjournment until Tuesday, Feb. 13.
Gould generated media attention when he pledged to donate $7.5 million to the Kimberley Dynamiters Jr. B hockey club that was also to be shared with the Kimberley Minor Hockey Association.
Since his pledge was made in October, both organizations have not received any of the money that was promised.
The fraud charges stemmed from an incident at a local restaurant that hosted a banquet meal that ran an estimated $8,000 tab.
According to Jen Salanski, the owner of the Northwest Grill, Gould provided cheques to cover the bill, however, there were no funds in the accounts provided.
