Franck Gervais, charged with impersonating soldier, to appear in court today
A man charged with impersonating a decorated soldier, after he identified himself as a Canadian Forces officer at the National War Memorial in Ottawa during Remembrance Day last month, will make his first court appearance today.
Franck Gervais, 32, of Cantley, Que., will be in an Ottawa court starting at 8:30 a.m. ET. Tuesday.
He faces two charges of impersonating a public officer, one charge of unlawful use of military uniforms and one charge of unlawful use of military decoration.
Gervais was standing in a uniform among veterans and service members of the Canadian Forces who attended the ceremony, which, coming after the fatal shooting of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo at the war memorial, had attracted thousands of people and national interest.
After seeing Gervais speaking as a "sergeant" on television, a number of veterans and soldiers called CBC News to question his status as a soldier.
They pointed to his style of beard, which was not allowed in the military, and inconsistencies in his uniform. A number of veterans were also upset that he wore a medal for bravery.
