Ottawa police have laid four criminal charges against a Quebec man who triggered a nationwide uproar after he appeared on national television, dressed as a Canadian Forces soldier, during Remembrance Day ceremonies at the National War Memorial.

The man wore a paratrooper's maroon beret and the DEU uniform of the land forces, with the ranks of sergeant and several decorations, including the Medal of Bravery. The Department of National Defence later confirmed that the man who has been charged, Franck Gervais, is not a member of the military.

The department added earlier that "such activities are a disservice to the proud men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces, who earn the right to wear their uniforms through their hard work and the sacrifices they make for our country."

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After a brief investigation, Ottawa police said Saturday the 32-year-old Mr. Gervais would face four criminal counts:

- One count of falsely representing himself to be a public officer;

- One count of misleading use of a badge or uniform;

- One count of unlawful use of a military uniform;

- One count of unlawful use of military decorations.

The four charges were announced Saturday after Mr. Gervais was questioned at an Ottawa police station. He was arrested and charged, then released on a promise to appear in court Dec. 9.

Within minutes after he appeared in a CBC television interview Tuesday morning during Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa, Canadian Forces personnel were questioning whether Mr. Gervais was a genuine soldier, noting many mistakes with the way he wore his uniform.

The resident of Cantley, Que., near Ottawa, is a carpenter, assembling hardwood stairs for a Rockland, Ont., construction supplies company.

During the ceremony, Mr. Gervais stood in the crowd and spoke briefly to reporters from the CBC and The Ottawa Citizen.

"For me, first it's to remember what people have done for us in the past and the future," he told the CBC's Diana Swain.

"We fought together. It's brothers," he told The Citizen.

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But his appearance raised alarms bells among viewers with military background. His beret appeared too small. He didn't have the red sash that infantry senior non-commissioned officers normally wear on formal occasions. He sported fancy sunglasses and had a Vandyke beard with a soul patch.

He wore a Royal Canadian Regiment cap badge and had insignias suggesting elite soldier status, such as paratroopers' wings and the "torch" badge of the patrol pathfinders, specialists who are deployed in enemy territory ahead of the main fighting forces.

Michael Womack, a Royal Canadian Regiment warrant officer who spearheaded a campaign to unmask Mr. Gervais, found Facebook photos of Mr. Gervais's wedding in which he wore a uniform next to his bride.

Unlawfully wearing a military unform is not a common offence, but a Winnipeg resident pleaded guilty to the charge two years ago.

Josh Tuckett had claimed he was a corporal who had served in Afghanistan and Haiti. While he faced a maximum sentence of six months, the judge noted that such penalty would be applied only if the deception had a more sinister aim. Since his masquerade gained him no concrete benefits, Mr. Tuckett received a discharge.