Montgomery County Police Cruiser
BETHESDA, Md. - A Maryland woman will donate $1,000 to the Montgomery County Police Department to dismiss charges after she used an AI-generated photo to fake a home invasion last year.
According to the county State’s Attorney’s Office, Moesha Gardener of Bethesda sent an AI photo to her husband of an unknown man whom she claimed broke into their home. Her husband called police after she reported the home invasion.
On Oct. 8, 2025, police responded to the 5000 block of McGrath Boulevard in North Bethesda, where they found Gardner alone inside her home.
READ MORE | Montgomery County woman charged with faking home invasion using AI photo
Police said half a dozen cruisers responded to the incident.
Gardener later admitted to sending the message with an AI image that showed the intruder sitting on their couch, saying it was meant to be a prank. She was taken into custody and released on $10,000 bail.
She was charged with making false statements and has since agreed to donate $1,000 to have the charges dismissed.
"We believe this is a fair resolution," said State’s Attorney John McCarthy. "People who participate in social media-related pranks need to be aware that there could be unintended consequences. In this case, multiple marked police cruisers, with activated emergency lights and sirens, drove at high speeds during daytime traffic to respond to the 911 call. This posed an unnecessary risk to public safety and involved the use of already strained resources."
Gardener has 90 days to make the donation, prosecutors said.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office.