It is a criminal offense to make a false police report of a crime—knowingly and with the intent to deceive—if the statement is material to a criminal investigation and is made to (1) a peace officer or federal special investigator conducting the investigation; (2) any employee of a law enforcement agency that is authorized by the agency to conduct the investigation and that the person making the statement knows is conducting the investigation; or (3) a corrections officer or jailer.
The crime of making a false police report may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or as a felony, depending on the state, and is punishable in many states by jail time, fines, community service, and probation. The definitions and punishments for the crime of making a false police report vary from state to state and are usually located in a state’s statutes.
In Ohio, making a false police report is a criminal offense under Ohio Revised Code Section 2921.13. It is illegal to knowingly make false statements or to issue a false alarm regarding the commission of a crime when the statement or alarm is material to a criminal investigation. This offense is typically charged as a misdemeanor, but the exact classification can range from a first-degree misdemeanor to a fifth-degree felony, depending on the circumstances, such as the resulting harm or economic loss. Penalties for making a false police report in Ohio can include jail time, fines, community service, and probation. The severity of the punishment is contingent upon the classification of the misdemeanor or felony charged.
