A female University of South Florida student who said two students robbed her has been arrested and charged with making up the story.
The 19-year-old was arrested Wednesday following a follow up interview with USF Police detectives. According to officials, she admitted to making up the story and that there was no robbery.
At 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, USF officers responded to a report of a strong armed robbery near the Interdisciplinary Science Building.
Police said the student originally told police that two white men in their early 20’s stole her jewelry near the ISA building. Officials said the student told them the men engaged her in conversation, then took her backpack from her and her necklace fell to the ground as a result of the physical contact.
After she allegedly admitted she made up the story, she was charged with filing a false police report and was taken to the Hillsborough County Jail.
USF police also the student is part of a group of four students who recently reported receiving threatening messages inside their USF residence hall rooms on Election Night.
The investigation into that incident is ongoing.
Lying about robberies has been in the headlines a lot this year, what with the whole Ryan Lochte debacle in Rio. Our Hillsborough County Criminal Defense Lawyers at Whittel & Melton urge everyone to refrain from lying about crimes as you can be charged with filing a false police report, as this case shows.
Situations where a false police report is filed can lead to serious consequences. If convicted, you could be looking at severe penalties and possibly even a prison sentence. Because of the severity of the consequences attached to a conviction, you need to enlist the help of a criminal defense attorney as soon as you have been accused of filing a false police report. Our Hillsborough County Criminal Defense Lawyers at Whittel & Melton can begin helping you establish a defense right away. If you filed a report that you believe to be true, we can assist with proving your claims.
For a free consultation, please call is today at 813-221-3200 or contact us online.