Another Ontario man charged with impersonating soldier
By Jason Bain, QMI Agency
First posted: Wednesday, November 26, 2014 12:09 PM EST | Updated: Wednesday, November 26, 2014 03:29 PM EST
PETERBOROUGH, ONT. - A 44-year-old Orono, Ont., man has been charged with impersonating a soldier after he was allegedly seen wearing a red beret and military-issued medals and marching with veterans at three different Remembrance Day ceremonies east of Toronto.
Police say a member of the military questioned Eric Janssens as he marched at a laying-of-the-wreaths ceremony in Orono on Nov. 9. The soldier became suspicious after Janssens’ answers about his service weren’t consistent with his medals, police said.
An investigation revealed Janssens also took part in a similar ceremony in nearby Newtonville on Nov. 8 and at the Bowmanville Remembrance Day ceremony on Nov. 11, police said.
There have been several similar cases recently.
Franck Gervais, 32, of Cantley, Que., sparked national outrage after appearing on a CBC broadcast of Remembrance Day ceremonies at the National War Memorial in Ottawa wearing military garb that contained numerous inconsistencies that caught the attention of soldiers and veterans.
He faces four charges including impersonating a public officer and unlawful use of a military uniform.
In January, David Dodd, former co-sergeant-at-arms of the Peterborough, Ont., legion, made false claims on the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Association Facebook group. He claimed to be a former member of the regiment and said a female soldier died in his arms during combat overseas and that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
But Dodd was never a member of the regiment, never served overseas and wasn’t entitled to wear the military medals he’d been photographed with at local legion events.
Dodd apologized to a senior member of the regiment’s association and no charges were laid.
Another Ontario man charged with impersonating soldier | Ontario | News | Toront
By Jason Bain, QMI Agency
First posted: Wednesday, November 26, 2014 12:09 PM EST | Updated: Wednesday, November 26, 2014 03:29 PM EST
PETERBOROUGH, ONT. - A 44-year-old Orono, Ont., man has been charged with impersonating a soldier after he was allegedly seen wearing a red beret and military-issued medals and marching with veterans at three different Remembrance Day ceremonies east of Toronto.
Police say a member of the military questioned Eric Janssens as he marched at a laying-of-the-wreaths ceremony in Orono on Nov. 9. The soldier became suspicious after Janssens’ answers about his service weren’t consistent with his medals, police said.
An investigation revealed Janssens also took part in a similar ceremony in nearby Newtonville on Nov. 8 and at the Bowmanville Remembrance Day ceremony on Nov. 11, police said.
There have been several similar cases recently.
Franck Gervais, 32, of Cantley, Que., sparked national outrage after appearing on a CBC broadcast of Remembrance Day ceremonies at the National War Memorial in Ottawa wearing military garb that contained numerous inconsistencies that caught the attention of soldiers and veterans.
He faces four charges including impersonating a public officer and unlawful use of a military uniform.
In January, David Dodd, former co-sergeant-at-arms of the Peterborough, Ont., legion, made false claims on the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Association Facebook group. He claimed to be a former member of the regiment and said a female soldier died in his arms during combat overseas and that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
But Dodd was never a member of the regiment, never served overseas and wasn’t entitled to wear the military medals he’d been photographed with at local legion events.
Dodd apologized to a senior member of the regiment’s association and no charges were laid.
Another Ontario man charged with impersonating soldier | Ontario | News | Toront
eric janssens @ericjanssens4 