Eight marked police cruisers reportedly sped to the couple’s North Bethesda home shortly before 10:30 a.m., expecting a burglary in progress.
BETHESDA, Md. — A prank gone wrong has led a North Bethesda woman to face charges after she allegedly used AI images to trick her husband into thinking their house had been broken into earlier this month.
According to the Montgomery County Department of Police, 27-year-old Moesha Gardener has been charged with falsely reporting a home invasion.
Police say Gardener texted her husband that a strange man had forced his way into their home after she answered the door. Her husband called 911 for help. While on the phone, Gardener’s husband told 911 that his wife had sent him photos of a man lying on their couch, covered with a blanket.
Eight marked police cruisers reportedly sped to the couple’s North Bethesda home shortly before 10:30 a.m., expecting a burglary in progress. With sirens blaring and lights activated, the officers arrived, only to find Gardener sitting alone on her couch, with a cell phone mounted to a tripod aimed at the front door.
Gardener then reportedly admitted to police that she had used AI to generate images of a fake intruder to prank her husband.
Gardener was arrested two days later for making a false statement concerning an emergency/crime and providing a false statement to a state official. She was released on a $10,000 unsecured personal bond.
“Calling 9-1-1 to report a false crime is illegal. So-called ‘swatting’ calls, false reports made to trigger a large police response, waste valuable emergency resources and can put lives at risk,” Montgomery County Police said in a press release. “These actions carry serious legal consequences.”
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