Man sentenced for impersonating soldier on Remembrance Day

The Quebec man who illegally wore a military uniform and medals and represented himself as a sergeant to reporters at a Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa last year has been sentenced to one year of probation and 50 hours of community service.

Franck Gervais pleaded guilty in March to unlawfully wearing a military uniform and a Medal of Bravery. Two other charges against him were withdrawn.

Questions about his military service surfaced when members of the Canadian Forces came forward after noticing problems with the way Gervais was dressed and the medals he was wearing. The well-decorated veteran said he believes Gervais was genuinely remorseful in his apology and “displayed appreciation” for the cemetery tour.

Wharton also said he was left with the impression that Gervais’s actions in 2014 “had no malicious intent”.

Gervais, right, hides his face under his hood after pleading guilty at the Ottawa courthouse in March. He has never served in the military. He was arrested in Ottawa in November and later charged.

In an agreed statement of facts, he later admitted that all his stories were untrue.

He was still in uniform when, along with his wife, he later attended a function at the Canadian War Museum featuring author Rod McLeod and his book Vigil, about the war in Afghanistan.

The decorations included medals for bravery, special service and peacekeeping.