East Orange Man Arrested for Phony Police Report

An East Orange man was arrested Friday after he allegedly lied to police about being carjacked.

Leon Ferguson, 31, called police at 4 am and said his 2000 BMW had been taken at gunpoint by two men the night before near 260 Halsey St. The suspects also took his wallet and cell phone, Ferguson told police.

Detectives processed the scene and broadcast details of the incident to patrols while Ferguson was brought to police headquarters to finish his report. While he was being interviewed, detectives discovered Ferguson was providing them with false information, and he eventually admitted his unregistered car had actually been towed, police said. He was arrested and charged with providing false reports to law enforcement.
 
"Our detectives are working diligently around the clock to investigate and solve crimes. The Newark Police Department can ill-afford to have our officers wasting their time, effort, and taxpayer money pursuing false reports. Our investigators are well trained and highly skilled and have often seen criminals attempt to conceal illegal activity by filing false police reports,” said Samuel DeMaio, director of the Newark Police Department.