Woman Sentenced to 1 Year in Jail for Impersonating Ex-Boyfriend on Facebook, Sending Herself Threats: OC District Attorney
Las Vegas resident Stephani Renae Lawson, 25, was living in Lake Forest when she created a Facebook account impersonating her ex-boyfriend, using it to send numerous threats to her own account, according to a statement from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. Although charges were initially filed against Lawson’s ex-boyfriend, an investigation into her claims led her to be convicted of one felony count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud or deceit, and one felony count of perjury, prosecutors said.
Lawson’s ex-boyfriend was arrested four times between September and December last year after she filed multiple police reports with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department stating he had violated a restraining order, stalked her and threatened to kill her via Facebook, officials said.
Lawson again used the fake account to send herself more threats in the two days ahead of her ex-boyfriend’s May 5 preliminary hearing, where she testified he had sent the messages, according to the DA’s office.
Authorities decided to conduct a follow-up investigation into Lawson’s statements on the witness stand and, because she had used her own devices and internet provider address, determined her ex-boyfriend was the true victim, prosecutors said. The charges against him have been dropped.