A 24-year-old woman pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to a phony call about a person drowning in Lake Michigan, a prank that will cost her nearly $20,000 and possible prison time.
Leona Chewing pleaded guilty to calling 911 on Feb. 4, 2013, at about 9 p.m. to report a person in distress after falling into Lake Michigan near Rogers Beach Park on the North Side, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
That call caused the U.S. Coast Guard and other first responders to launch a search and rescue operation that prosecutors say cost authorities more than $13,000.
The Coast Guard said it launched a boat with an ice and rescue team from its Wilmette Harbor station and a helicopter from a station in Michigan. The Chicago Fire Department sent its boat and diver entered the water, a statement from prosecutors said.
Chewing later admitted the call was a hoax and nobody was actually in distress, the statement said.
She faces up to six years in prison, mandatory restitution of $13,613 and a civil penalty of $5,000, the statement said. Her plea agreement calls for a sentence of 4-10 months.
“Hoax rescue calls are costly and risky for the responding agencies and personnel who put their own lives on the line in an effort to save others,” U.S. Atty. Zachary Fardon said in the statement. “We will prosecute those who needlessly make false rescue reports and hold them accountable for their crime.”
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Chewing remains free on her own recognizance while awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for April 22.
