Crown drops all charges against N.B. man once accused of impersonating police officer
Daniel Ray Downey, 58, released Wednesday after 5 months in custody
All charges have been dropped against a southeast New Brunswick man who last year was accused of possessing stolen police equipment, impersonating an officer and threatening to kill several women.
Daniel Ray Downey, 58, of Pointe-du-Chêne was scheduled to stand trial in Moncton provincial court Wednesday and Thursday on firearms and other charges.
Instead, court records show, a Crown prosecutor withdrew all of the charges Downey faced.
A judge’s notes in the case file say “matters concluded,” and Downey was to be released. He had been held in custody pending trial since his arrest on Aug. 26, 2025.
CBC News asked for a comment from Public Prosecution Services about why the charges were dropped. Paul Bradley, a spokesperson for the province, sent a statement that did not directly address the case.
"The Crown has an ongoing obligation to assess the viability of any prosecution — not just at the charge approval stage, but constantly in the lead up to trial and as additional information or evidence comes to light," Bradley said in an email Thursday
"If at any point the Crown determines that it no longer possesses a reasonable likelihood of conviction, it is obliged to terminate the prosecution."
RCMP confirmed in a statement that all of the charges Downey faced have been dropped.
“The NB RCMP completed a thorough investigation, however, the Crown has final authority over how charges proceed once the matter is before the courts and we respect their decision,” RCMP Cpl. Hans Ouellette, a spokesperson for the Mounties in New Brunswick, said in an email Thursday.
In August last year, RCMP issued a news release announcing the charges.
It said that on Aug. 26, 2025, Shediac RCMP received information that a man possessed what was believed to be a retired police car, police uniforms and other equipment and “was intending to commit criminal offences while personating a police officer.”
Personation is a charge under the Criminal Code of Canada.
The news release said a search of two properties in Pointe-du-Chêne led to police seizing two firearms, several pieces of police uniforms, including duty belts, a Ford Taurus, radios, lights and sirens.
The charges laid last year alleged he attempted and conspired to personate an officer, threatening to kill several women, a 2023 arson, various firearms offences and possessing stolen police equipment.
Nine of the charges, including the personation and threats, had been withdrawn by the Crown in October.
Downey was arrested and charged. He was denied bail after a hearing on Oct. 8.
The charges laid last year alleged he attempted and conspired to personate an officer, threatening to kill several women, a 2023 arson, various firearms offences and possessing stolen police equipment.
Nine of the charges, including the personation and threats, had been withdrawn by the Crown in October.
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