By Troy Gillard and Sheldon Spackman - RD News Now

Remembrance Day impostor pleads guilty

Mar 21, 2018 | 3:12 PM

RED DEER, AB — Military veterans filled a Red Deer courtroom Wednesday morning as a local man pleaded guilty to posing as a U.S. veteran at Remembrance Day ceremonies last year at local schools.

Peter Toth pleaded guilty to unlawfully wearing military decorations and unlawfully possessing a military identity card or other similar documents. A third count of unlawfully wearing a military uniform was withdrawn by the Crown.

The 59-year-old was sentenced to 18 months’ probation and 200 hours of community service.

Toth attended Remembrance Day ceremonies at St. Francis of Assisi Middle School on Nov. 8, 2017 while dressed as a U.S. Marine. He also appeared in uniform at ceremonies at G.W. Smith Elementary and Aspen Heights Elementary.

Soon after, the group Stolen Valour Canada raised concerns over Toth’s authenticity upon seeing pictures of Toth at the ceremonies. Stolen Valour cited several violations to rdnewsNOW including Toth wearing ink-stained desert camouflage to a public event, which is not authorized, wearing a campaign hat off the parade field and with an incorrect insignia on it, medals and campaign service garb that did not line up, and wearing a dickie around his neck, which is also unauthorized.

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Toth admitted in court Wednesday to posing as a gunnery sergeant by wearing a uniform donned with military medals that were not in line with his claims or earned. Court heard that paraphernalia has since been destroyed.

Court also heard that Toth has struggled with depression and is currently receiving treatment for mental health issues. His duty counsel said Toth understands what he did was wrong and has a ‘great deal of remorse’ over the incident. Although two other Remembrance Day services Toth appeared in at G.W. Smith Elementary and Aspen Heights Elementary school last November were not addressed in court.

Lt. (retired) Gord Swaitkewich, Canadian Armed Forces Infantry, is a spokesperson for Stolen Valour Canada and says for the most part he is happy with Toth’s sentence.

“It was a little bit of a process but any win is a win,” admits Swaitkewich. “He’s got 18 months supervised probation, we couldn’t ask for better. We’d like to thank the Crown, the whole court system, the sheriffs, everybody that’s been involved with this, including the media and that for supporting us through this.”

Swaitkewich has doubts about Toth’s remorsefulness, however, despite his alleged issues with mental health.

“There could be mental health issues,” concedes Swaitkewich. “But to make up those documents, to go out of your way purposely, buy a rag-tag uniform is the best way I can describe it, is premeditation. What’s driving that premeditation? I can’t say.”

Swaitkewich says his next order of business is to get the veterans license plate from Toth’s vehicle removed.

“He is not a veteran, he has no legal right to have that plate,” adds Swaitkewich.

Sgt. (retired) Robert Dale from Red Deer says Toth’s sentence is even better than what he and other local military veterans expected.

“Eighteen months supervised probation and 200 hours of community service, that’s pretty well par for the course on these cases,” commented Dale. “With the publicity we’re getting on this, it sends a message. We are diligent and we will be catching more people doing this.”

‘Respect for the troops’ is what Dale feels is the most important aspect of this story.

“We’re not going to stand by for somebody stealing valour from our fallen,” Dale elaborates. “He claimed he was in Afghanistan? We lost 185 people in Afghanistan and for him to do what he did is like him desecrating their graves and we’re not going to stand for it.”