[1] Prior to his term in political office, Hobbs served as a member of the Thunder Bay Police for 34 years.

On July 21, 2017, Hobbs and his wife were charged by the Ontario Provincial Police with extortion and obstruction of justice.

[3] The police statement alleges that Keith and Marisa Hobbs and city resident Mary Voss tried to pressure Alexander Zaitzeff, a prominent lawyer in the city, to buy Voss a house in exchange for her silence regarding an allegation that Zaitzeff had sexually assaulted her.

[3] Hobbs took a 90-day leave of absence from his duties as mayor upon the announcement of the charges,[3] returning on September 25.

[4][5] The city's police chief, J. P. Levesque, has also been under suspension since May after being charged with breach of trust and obstruction of justice for allegedly disclosing confidential information about Hobbs.