Man Sentenced for Calling in Fake Armed Robbery in Norristown
On March 27, 2015, a 20-year-old Lansdale man has been sentenced for calling in a fake armed robbery to borough law enforcement last September. He made the call as an attempt to distract police officers from locating a friend who ran from police to avoid a public drunkenness arrest. He was charged with a first-degree misdemeanor for the report and a second-degree misdemeanor for hindering apprehension of his friend. He was also charged with possession of marijuana because he had pot on him when police took him into custody.
He was sentenced with a maximum of 23 months in jail with two years of probation. He must also complete 30 hours of community service. This was part of a plea deal where the prosecution dropped the hindering apprehension charge and two other misdemeanor charges related to providing false reports. His sentence would have likely been much higher if they did not enter this plea deal.
The phone call did not avert police from finding his friend, so in the long run both this man and his friend were sentenced relative to their crimes. Police consider calling in fake occurrences a very serious offense because it deters police from helping those who are actually in need.
If you or someone you love has been charged with a crime, do not take the law into your own hands. Call an experienced criminal defense attorney. The experts at Fiore & Barber are ready to help. Call 215-256-0205 for a free initial consultation.