Calgary man charged for allegedly teaching fake gun training course

A Calgary man has been charged with fraud and other offences for allegedly teaching a fake gun training course out of his home earlier this year.

Police say 36-year-old Bradley Keith Bell pretended to be a military veteran and offered private classes to several people between January and June.

People who signed up for the class believed they were registering to complete a Restricted Possession and Acquisition Licence (RPAL) course with a certified instructor.

Officers add Bell allegedly handed out safety booklets and held training classes before asking people to complete a Canadian firearms safety exam as the final step of their certification.

Police say people paid Bell, and gave him their personal information as well as photos, which he said was part of the application process to become a licensed gun owner. However, Bell does not have a firearms licence, nor is he a certified instructor, so nobody ended up getting official certification.

Investigators searched Bell’s home Aug. 31 and found ammunition, documentation associated with several RPAL applications, photographs, and personal information of his alleged victims.

Bell has been charged with four counts of failure to comply with a release order and one count of fraud under $5,000. He is set to appear in court Wednesday.

“This type of fraudulent firearms training poses a risk to the public and we are thankful through our investigations we were able to stop this individual from deceiving more victims,” said Acting Sgt. Steve Lynch with Calgary police.

Anyone with information about similar incidents, or who believes they were defrauded is asked to call police at 403-266-1234. You can also leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.