Cochrane RCMP have charged a man with Fraud and Public Mischief after an investigation into the claim the man was injured when he hit a barbed wire on a mountain biking trail near Bragg Creek.

On July 5, a man reported that he had been riding his bike on a trail in West Bragg Creek when he struck a barbed wire that had been strung between two trees.

The man said the incident resulted in the wire cutting his shoulder and neck and knocking him off his bike. The man also said he was then taken to hospital after the incident.

After an investigation, interviewing other cyclists who had been on the trail, area residents, and the man himself, Cochrane RCMP have determined the events described the the man never took place.

As a result of this, RCMP have charged 37-year-old Stelianos Psaroudakis from Calgary with Fraud under $5,000 and Public Mischief.

Psaroudakis has now surrendered himself to police.

"The allegations raised by this complaint caused a lot of concern to the cycling community and Bragg Creek residents," says Inspector Lauren Weare, Officer in Charge of Cochrane RCMP. "We understand the public concern raised by Mr. Psaroudakis' claim as well as his attempts to solicit money online. I want to thank everyone for their patience while this investigation took place and also thank all who came forward to provide important information."

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