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(Updated) Abbotsford man gets nine-month conditional sentence for impersonating a peace officer

Charles David Parent pleads guilty to two counts in Abbotsford provincial court
74130abbotsfordCharlesParentFILE
Charles Parent has been sentenced to a nine-month conditional sentence for impersonating a police officer.

It is still not entirely clear why Charles David Parent tried to convince two real peace officers that he was in law enforcement.

According to Crown council, Parent opened his wallet to show a fake badge and a business card to a sheriff at the Abbotsford courthouse in a Dec. 10, 2013 incident, and in a separate Jan. 8, 2014 incident, Parent showed what appeared to be an RCMP badge to a police officer.

That led to criminal charges and an appearance Friday before the same judge who dealt with Parent in a similar case 10 years ago.

Judge Richard Miller expressed amazement after the 49-year-old Parent pleaded guilty to two counts of impersonating a peace officer in Abbotsford provincial court.

“In 2006, I sent you to jail for six months (for impersonating a peace officer),” Miller said. “Do you remember?

Parent said he didn’t.

Court records show that in 2006, Parent received a six-month sentence for impersonating a peace officer, as well as four months for fabricating evidence and attempting to obstruct justice in New Westminster.

Defence lawyer Mark Berry said there did not appear to be any motive other than “self-aggrandizement” adding his client has “mental health issues … anxiety, depression, a number of things.”

Berry told the court his client was working as a cook while living in a motorhome, but it broke down and Parent ended up living in a shelter until recently.

Parent was handed a nine-month conditional sentence.

He will not be allowed outside his residence between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. without written permission and then only for employment.

Parent must also perform 25 hours of community service work and will have to pay a $200 fine.

Two other charges relating to the 2013 and 2014 incidents have been stayed by the Crown.

The provincial court database shows Parent has been charged with a variety of offences under different names over the years.

The database lists 13 aliases, including Charles Parent-Quinn, Chase Parent-Quinn, Shipwreck, Charles Tears and Michael Knight.

In 2002, he was convicted of four fraud charges in Courtenay, and received a six-month sentence.

In 2007, Parent was again sentenced to three years in jail for defrauding a Surrey businesswoman out of $32,000 for computer parts.

Parent has also claimed to be a former Navy SEAL.

The Abbotsford Today website identified Parent as a former Navy SEAL in an article on April 24, 2014 that stated Parent had a hostage rescue team investigator from Ontario review a video showing the police takedown of a man in the parking lot of the Abbotsford Food Bank.

The story was later removed from the website, and the Abbotsford News confirmed that no person by the name of Charles Parent or Charles/Chase Parent-Quinn was involved with the elite U.S. force.

Parent has also stated on various online postings that he has a master of science degree in health sciences, a master of arts in fine arts, and has studied engineering at the University of Western Ontario.

On one of his Facebook pages, “The Way I See It,” he identifiesdhimself as “Dr. Charles Parent,” with a PhD and a bachelor of education.

That page has since been taken down.

Parent also claimed to be one of only 40 “certified master tattoo artists in the world,” and the only one in Canada, with a 30-year career in that field. Parent did own a Surrey tattoo studio called The Mad Tatter, but no longer operates that business.

He also previously posted online asking for donations to the “Amateur Radio Emergency Service of Canada/Pacific Region,” which does not exist as a registered charity, according to the Canada Revenue Agency.

The legitimate organization is called the “Amateur Radio Emergency Service,” and Parent used their logo on Facebook, adding the words “of Canada.”

- with files from Vikki Hopes

 

 



Dan Ferguson

About the Author: Dan Ferguson

Best recognized for my resemblance to St. Nick, I’m the guy you’ll often see out at community events and happenings around town.
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