North Carolina woman facing false report charge in case where she reported her own killing, police say

By Carma Hassan, CNN

(CNN) — A North Carolina woman is facing false report and other charges after police say she sent anonymous messages to a friend and the Department of Social Services saying she had been attacked and killed.

Maggie Sweeney, 37, was arrested on Monday and released on a written promise to appear in court, police say.

She faces charges of making a false report to a police station, a false report of serious injury or death through telephone, and resisting a public officer, according to a police news release posted on Facebook Monday.

The charges are misdemeanors, according to the Macon County Court clerk.

Sweeney has not entered a plea. CNN has not been able to determine whether she has an attorney.

Police began their investigation as a missing person case after she was reported missing Friday.

Franklin police said in the Facebook post they had initially received information that seemed to indicate “Sweeney was endangered or deceased.”

Franklin Police First Sergeant Randy Dula continued to investigate the case after Sweeney was found safe the next day, according to the post.

“Later that same day he developed information that Sweeney had used a third-party text app to send the fraudulent texts to her friend and the Department of Social Services that she had been assaulted and was deceased,” Franklin Police Chief Devin Holland said in an email to CNN.

“Sweeney’s actions caused our department, as well as other departments, many hours of work which could have been spent on other matters. Family, friends, and the community as a whole were also very concerned and worried about Sweeney’s welfare,” the department said, in the post.

Sweeney’s first district court appearance will be on September 7.

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