INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A man from Indianapolis has been sentenced to federal prison for falsely implicating an innocent person in a crime to claim a cash reward, according to the United States Department of Justice. Carl Davis, 25, plead guilty to making a false statement with the intention of misleading the executive branch of the government.

The incident took place on April 1, 2022, when a letter carrier from the United States Postal Office was robbed on South Reisner Street. In response, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect.

On April 7, Davis contacted the tip line and provided details of the robbery. In a sworn statement, he identified a man named M.S. as the perpetrator, claiming to have witnessed the crime. Davis even presented evidence in the form of conversations with M.S. on Facebook Messenger, where M.S. allegedly admitted to the robbery.

However, further investigation by postal inspectors revealed that Davis had actually created the M.S. Facebook account himself to frame M.S. Instead, Davis confessed that his motive was personal animosity towards M.S. and his desire to obtain the reward money. The judge sentenced Davis to six months in federal prison and 18 months probation upon release.

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, condemned Davis’ actions, stating, “Greed and a petty personal beef do not entitle someone to lie and fabricate evidence in a federal investigation. The prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that serious crimes like this carry serious consequences.” The U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s swift efforts led to the debunking of Davis’ lies and ensured accountability.

In summary, Carl Davis of Indianapolis has been sentenced to federal prison for falsely accusing an innocent person of robbery to claim a cash reward. Davis admitted to creating a fake Facebook account to frame the individual he held a personal grudge against. His actions were denounced by the U.S. Attorney, emphasizing that the severity of the crime warrants severe consequences.