A woman who tried an AI prank on her husband is donating $1,000 to the Montgomery County Police Department to clear charges of making a false statement.
Moesha Gardener, 28, of Rockville, Maryland, was facing misdemeanor charges of making a false statement about an emergency or crime and making a false statement to a state official, according to court records.
The issue started in October, when she texted her husband that a man forced his way into their home. That prompted the husband to call 911. After he received a photo from his wife of the supposed man on their couch covered by a blanket, he sent the shot to the emergency call center, the police said in a release at the time.
Officers riding in eight department cruisers arrived at the same time as Ms. Gardener’s husband to find her alone on the couch, with her phone mounted on a tripod near the front door to try and catch her husband’s response to the prank on video.
Ms. Gardener said she used AI to make the picture as part of the setup, police said. The officers then arrested and released her on a $10,000 bond.
“Sometimes they can have unintended consequences, and things can play out in ways you didn’t intend. That’s kind of what happened here. … If you’re involved in some of these things, just think twice,” Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy told Washington’s WRC-TV.
Under the terms of her deal with Mr. McCarthy’s office, Ms. Gardener has 90 days to donate $1,000 to the police to get the charges dismissed, according to Washington’s WTTG. She’s due back in court in November, according to court records.
“It was supposed to be a joke, but it used a very precious resource for us. And she paid $1,000 because that’s what it cost the taxpayers in Montgomery County to respond to this,” Mr. McCarthy said.
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