A Creston man is accused of posing as an undercover police officer to defraud local businesses.
RCMP say they received several complaints on Nov. 20. The man convinced three business to provide him store credit to obtain goods but never returned to pay for the items as promised.
Police say the man produced a legitimate police identification card and business cards, but does not work for the RCMP or any other police force.
Felix Ference, 57, has been arrested and appeared in court Monday, where he was released on conditions.
He’s charged with three counts of impersonating a police officer, two counts of fraud under $5,000 and theft under $5,000.
“We believe Ference may have attempted or even been successful in getting goods from businesses in Creston and the surrounding areas,” Cst. Brett Urano said in a news release.
“We know it is not uncommon for small businesses to extend credit to customers in more rural areas. If you were victim to this, or someone attempted to gain store credit purporting to work with the police, we would like to hear from you.”
Ference returns to court on Dec. 22.
