'She's a liar:' Ohio woman arrested for making over 400 false calls to 911 since 2020

ZANESVILLE, OH - Kesha S. Kennedy, 34, has pleaded guilty to charges of making over 400 false calls to 911 Emergency Services, allegedly for her personal entertainment and for ambulance rides to the hospital. Because of first responders answering her calls, at least one person is known to have died due to a real medical emergency, and at least one fire was responded to with insufficient manpower.

As reported by WTFR, Muskingum County Prosecutor Ron Welch told reporters that Kennedy pleaded guilty to felony disrupting public services, felony making false alarms, and 25 counts of misdemeanor misuse of 911 systems.

Reportedly, the woman called 911 almost 400 times, multiple times per week, even more than once per day, with complaints of various illnesses, only to be found healthy in the hospital each time. Officials told the outlet that the resources of the South Zanesville Fire Department (SZFD) were strained by handling the responses and her improper, frequent calls.
 

Kesha S. Kennedy, age 34, of Zanesville, pleaded guilty to felony disrupting public services, felony making false alarms and 25 counts of misdemeanor misuse of 911 systems.https://t.co/uyjK7238Ix

— WJMN Local 3 (@WJMN_Local3) July 17, 2024

After being transported to Genesis Hospital, Kennedy was duly informed by the medical professionals there that she had no medical issues or emergencies, but the hospital nonetheless had to triage her, and the taxpayer paid for each transport and visit via Medicaid.

Welch, speaking to the court before Kennedy's plea, said that a forensic psychologist examined her. This examination as explained by Muskingum County Assistant Prosecutor John Litle told the court she exhibited "a factitious disorder, which means that she’s a liar."

According to a press release from the Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office, she had committed similar violations in Licking, Guernsey, Franklin, and Cuyahoga counties before she abused the Muskingum County system. In 2023, she faced charges in Licking County, and when confronted by Newark Police claimed to have a disability preventing her from standing, walking, or understanding her Miranda Rights.

Litle said in the release, "Obviously some type of check or balance needs to exist, so that this type of abuse is more quickly reported by EMS to law enforcement because 350 pointless ambulance runs is absolutely ridiculous."

He added, "I was absolutely shocked when this case was brought to my attention by South Zanesville Police Chief Mark Ross. We reached out to the Sheriff’s Office for an investigation and Detective Richard Perry was able to quickly lock down a case and get this abuse stopped."

Kennedy will be sentenced at a later date according to WTRF, and county records indicate she is being held under a $250,000 surety bond.