KEY WEST, FL — In a recent case, the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office announced that Thelma Long, 41, of Stock Island, has been sentenced following her arrest for falsely reporting a violent crime to emergency dispatch.
Long entered a no contest plea to False Report of a Crime, in violation of Florida Statute. County Judge Mark Wilson withheld adjudication, ordered Long to pay $568 in total fines court costs and one day in jail.
The charges stem from an incident on August 31, 2025, when deputies with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call in which Long reported that shots had been fired during a dispute at a residence on Maloney Avenue on Stock Island. Upon arrival, Long further told deputies that a man had displayed a firearm and threatened to return and shoot her and her husband.
During the investigation, deputies obtained witness statements and reviewed video recorded shortly before the 911 call. The footage showed a verbal dispute outside the residence but did not show anyone displaying a firearm or making threats. Investigators determined that no shots had been fired, and that the video evidence contradicted the claims made to emergency dispatch, establishing that the reported gun threat had not occurred.
Assistant State Attorney Robert DeWitt prosecuted the case.
Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield emphasized the seriousness of filing false emergency reports.
“False reports of violent crimes divert law enforcement resources away from real emergencies and force deputies to respond under the assumption that lives may be in immediate danger,” Mansfield said. “When someone reports shots fired or claims that a firearm is involved, deputies must treat the situation as an active and potentially deadly encounter. Responding to a call like that creates a very real risk that a completely different and far more serious outcome could occur. This case should serve as a learning moment. Under Florida law, filing a false report of a crime carries a potential penalty of up to one year in jail.”
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