A New Hampshire man was caught using forged documents to pass as a registered nurse after being arrested for failing to pay for two weeks of lodging at a Windham bed and breakfast cottage, police said.

Mark Hamel, 36, of Laconia, N.H., is being held at the Cumberland County Jail on theft of services charges after he and a female companion checked into the Sebago Lake Lodge on Whites Bridge Road in Standish on July 14 and paid a $200 down payment. He was arrested on Friday when he did not have the remaining $2,200 he owed the lodge, according to sheriff’s reports.

Deputy Larry Cote said Hamel was on probation for conviction of a similar crime in New Hampshire.

“He just had every excuse that he could come up with,” said Chip Lougee, owner of the Sebago Lake Lodge. He said when asked to pay his bill, Hamel would dodge, such as promising to pay that night, or saying his mother would be around the next day and let him use her credit card.

“He’d just lie, lie, lie, lie,” said Lougee.

Lougee said a week before he called the authorities, Hamel was served some papers at the lodge by a law enforcement officer over money he owed his ex-wife.

Investigators have since learned that Hamel had been working at Camp Sebago in Standish, posing as a nurse, until he was fired on July 14 for undisclosed reasons. A search warrant at the camp turned up Hamel’s nursing certification, which was forged, authorities said, as well as medical records that showed he had diagnosed illnesses and administered medication at the camp.

The Maine Attorney General’s Office is reviewing the medical records to determine what violations he committed while posing as a nurse.

The Salvation Army runs Camp Sebago. In a statement released this week, Craig Evans, the Salvation Army development director, said Hamel was an assistant nurse with limited duties and was supervised by a licensed nurse.

“Prior to the individual being taken into custody by the authorities,” said the statement read by Evans, “The Salvation Army conducted an internal investigation, having become suspicious when the former employee had not submitted his licensing records. When the individual was unable to supply the appropriate credentials, his employment was quickly terminated.

The statement continued: “The Salvation Army has operated Camp Sebago for nearly 50 years, providing rewarding camping experiences for thousands of disadvantaged youngsters. Employment issues such as this are extremely rare, and The Salvation Army remains firmly committed to proving a safe, enjoyable, and meaningful camping experience for all children entrusted to our care.”

Cote contacted Hamel’s probation officer in New Hampshire and he authorized a probation hold on Hamel until he can be extradited back to New Hampshire for probation violation.

Chief Deputy Kevin Joyce said that Hamel’s female companion said she was unaware that he was not planning to pay his bill and that she will not be charged with any crime. Joyce said she had worked at Camp Sebago with Hamel, but quit when he was fired.

SebagoLakeLodge1-2: Mark Hamel, 36, of New Hampshire stayed in a cottage at this lakeside resort for two weeks without paying after being fired from the Salvation Army’s Camp Sebago for needy children when they discovered his nursing credentials were faked.SebagoLakeLodge1-2: Mark Hamel, 36, of New Hampshire stayed in a cottage at this lakeside resort for two weeks without paying after being fired from the Salvation Army’s Camp Sebago for needy children when they discovered his nursing credentials were faked.