New Jersey Criminal Lawyers Blog
Knowingly providing false information to police or investigating authorities is a criminal offense. In New Jersey, it can be prosecuted under several different criminal statutes that subject Defendants to potential incarceration in State Prison.
What constitutes false information? Any statement made with the purpose of deceiving law enforcement and/or disrupting an investigation. This can include implicating an innocent person for a crime; reporting a crime that never occurred; claiming to have information about a crime that you do not have; providing law enforcement with a fake name, falsified documents, or fake identification. Misleading statements intended to protect another person from arrest or conviction or to protect yourself from liability are also punishable under the law.
Common reasons a person might risk criminal charges for making false statements include covering up material details of a crime, committing financial or insurance fraud, carrying out a prank or a hoax, or seeking revenge or retaliation against another individual.
False accusations are not as unusual as one may think, and they can take a heavy toll on the accused emotionally, raising feelings of anger, fear and frustration. Whether they are the result of mistaken identity, a misunderstanding, or malicious intent, false accusations are serious matters that can severely damage the accused’s reputation, relationships, and future opportunities depending on the nature of the claim.