Angel investor and Canadian Startup Capital Association (CSCA) founder Jesse Wiebe has been charged by the Saskatoon police with allegedly committing an indecent act while unlawfully entering a home.
Wiebe, who previously worked for investment network Startup TNT and who has long been an active investor in the Canadian tech ecosystem, was charged on May 17. The allegations have yet to be tested in court.Â
In a report issued last month that does not mention Wiebe by name, police allege that Wiebe entered an apartment on Saskatoonâs Main Street while unclothed and seemingly intoxicated. He was subsequently charged with âwillfully committing an indecent act and unlawfully entering a dwelling.â Police said Wiebe was not known to the occupants of the apartment. He was later released into medical care.
The Globe and Mail first reported that Wiebe was linked to the incident on Wednesday. On Monday, prior to the Globeâs report, Wiebe penned a long post on LinkedIn outlining his struggles with mental health, sobriety, career burnout, and past trauma related to bullying.Â
âI got a wake up call. I am not going to share the details. They are not the point, and they are not mine alone to share. What I will tell you is that there was an incident. A moment where the way I had been coping caught up with me in a way I could no longer explain away or fold back inside the armour,â Wiebe wrote, adding that, since that incident, he has committed to remaining sober and has begun seeing a therapist.
According to the Globe, Wiebe attended court in Saskatoon on the same day the LinkedIn post was published. Crown prosecutors are pursuing charges on a summary basis. Summary charges are considered less serious criminal offences, carrying a maximum sentence of two years less a day if convicted.
Wiebe launched the CSCA in April, backed by over 19 VC firms and angel investment syndicates representing more than 3,500 active investors. The organization is one of three hoping, alongside the National Angel Capital Organization (NACO) and the Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (CVCA), hoping to direct how the federal government deploys the $750 million CAD it pledged towards âearly growth-stage funding gaps.â Each organization has presented competing visions for how the federal government ought to support the sector.
In response to BetaKitâs questions about the charges, Wiebe sent the following emailed statement:
âThis is a deeply serious matter, and I am treating it as such. I am currently addressing significant personal and mental health challenges, and I am receiving professional support and treatment. I am co-operating with the legal process and will not be commenting on specific details while the matter is before the courts.â
Wiebe is expected to enter a plea to the charges on June 30.
If you or someone you know needs help, please use these federal resources for mental health or substance abuse support. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call or text the 24/7 suicide crisis helpline at 988.
Feature image courtesy Jesse Wiebe. With files from Jesse Cole.