Man allegedly posed as police officer to get store credit at businesses in the Kootenays

Mounties in the Kootenays say a 57-year-old man has been charged with posing as a police officer "to gain tangible benefits from local businesses."
Creston resident Felix Ference allegedly visited multiple businesses in and around the city, posing as an undercover police officer, according to a news release from Creston RCMP.
"The man convinced three businesses to provide him store credit to obtain goods and never returned to pay for the items as he had initially promised," police said in their release.
"The man is also alleged to have produced a legitimate police identification card and business cards during these interactions, but he in no way works for the RCMP or any other police force."
Police said they received multiple reports about the man's behaviour on Nov. 20. Investigators identified Ference as the suspect and arrested him.
He has since been charged with three counts of "personate a peace officer," two counts of fraud under $5,000 and one count of theft under $5,000, police said, adding that he has been released from custody on several conditions.
Police said they believe Ference may have attempted to get goods or services from other businesses in the area as well. They're asking anyone who may have fallen victim to the alleged scam to contact them.
"We know it is not uncommon for small businesses to extend credit to customers in more rural areas," said Const. Brett Urano in the release.
"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."
Creston RCMP can be reached at 250-428-9313.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING | 11 injured after city bus crashes into daycare in Montreal suburb Laval, driver arrested
Nine people were seriously injured after a Laval city bus crashed into a daycare Wednesday morning, according to first responders. The driver of the bus has been arrested, according to Quebec Public Security Minister Francois Bonnardel.

How much Canadians have fallen behind amid high inflation and who's hurting the most
Inflation has eroded purchasing power for many Canadians, but the experience with rapidly rising prices has been far from uniform.
Awkward moment or conscious message? Political experts weigh in on Danielle Smith-Justin Trudeau handshake
An 'awkward' attempt at a handshake between Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and the prime minister Tuesday is another example of leaders from the western province hesitating before shaking Justin Trudeau's hand, say political experts.
A Conservative government would uphold federal-provincial health-care funding deals: Poilievre
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says that if he becomes prime minister he would uphold the 10-year deals Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is looking to ink with provinces and territories that would inject $46.2 billion in new funding into Canada's strained health-care systems.
Hope fading as deaths in Turkiye, Syria quake pass 11,000
With the hope of finding survivors fading, stretched rescue teams in Turkiye and Syria searched Wednesday for signs of life in the rubble of thousands of buildings toppled by a catastrophic earthquake. The confirmed death toll from the world's deadliest quake in more than a decade passed 11,000.
'Crypto king' associate operated parallel Ponzi scheme while living lavish lifestyle, court documents allege
An associate of Ontario’s self-described “crypto king” was operating his own fraud scam parallel to the multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme, court documents allege.
opinion | Tom Mulcair: This is why the federal health-care proposal is so disappointing
Justin Trudeau has thrown in the towel in the fight to maintain the federal role as gatekeeper of a public, universal, accessible and fair health-care system in Canada, writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca. 'That could have tragic consequences for folks on the lower rungs of the social and economic ladder.'
opinion | Before you do your taxes, take note of these tax credits and deductions you may not have known about
Many Canadians are experiencing strains caused by the increased cost of living and inflation. In his exclusive column for CTVNews.ca, contributor Christopher Liew shares some of the top credits and deductions that you may be able to claim on your income tax return to help you save money.
Beetles barking up the wrong tree: Canada's boreal forests dying
Fir trees are under attack in the British Columbia interior, where severe drought and heat are putting forests at risk due to bark beetles.