Woman Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements in Child Abduction Case
| U.S. Attorney’s Office February 08, 2010 |
RALEIGH—United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court today ROSNAH HASSAN THOMASON, 43, of Four Oaks, North Carolina, pled guilty to making material false statements, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2).
A Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on October 8, 2009. According to a September 4, 2009, Criminal Complaint and additional information discussed in court today, on May 18, 2008, officers with the Smithfield Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting the disappearance of a 3-year-old child. Officers met with THOMASON who claimed she was the child’s mother, and that, while at the Brightleaf Flea Market buying produce, she turned and the child was gone. Officers, along with other search personnel, then conducted an extensive search of the area for the child. Witnesses were interviewed who did not remember a child being with THOMASON.
The Complaint further entails that agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were called in and, that same day, interviewed THOMASON. Through the investigation it was learned that, on May 12, 2008, THOMASON had booked flights for herself and the child from Raleigh, North Carolina, to Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, for May 17, 2008. However, THOMASON, while being interviewed by law enforcement, stated that she and the child had spent the entire day (May 17) at a Raleigh park and then returned to their home, where they stayed for the entire evening. A search of THOMASON’s residence also revealed an Internet printout on how to report a missing child. The document was printed on May 12, 2008, the same day, THOMASON bought the plane tickets.
On May 19, 2008, THOMASON admitted that she had been dishonest with authorities, claiming that her brother had forced her to turn the child over to him. Law enforcement learned that THOMASON’s brother and the child were on a flight to Japan. They unsuccessfully attempted to direct the plane back to the United States based on THOMASON’s statements. Federal agents met and interviewed THOMASON’s brother in Japan, where he claimed the child was his biological offspring and that THOMASON refused to return the child after a visit with her. Upon review, the passports and related documentation for the child were determined to be legitimate. A subsequent DNA analysis confirmed that THOMASON was not the mother of the child.
During the course of the investigation, dozens of local, state, federal, and international resources were expended. The Amber Alert Network was activated, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children initiated a response, and an international flight was nearly diverted based upon the false information provided by THOMASON.
Mr. Holding commented, “The emergency reporting system needs to be taken seriously. It is for bonafide emergency situations that require medical treatment or police assistance, so that services can be dispatched quickly to those in need of help. When a person reports a false emergency it takes from those in need valuable manpower and precious time while using resources already stretched tight.”
The maximum penalty for the charge is up to five years' imprisonment followed by up to three years' supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Smithfield Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Banumathi Rangarajan represented the government.