News (USA)

Nebraska lesbian who allegedly faked hate crime headed to trial

Nebraska lesbian who allegedly faked hate crime headed to trial

LINCOLN, Neb. — Lancaster County, Neb., District Court Judge Gale Pokorny on Thursday continued until Nov. 19 the case against a Nebraska woman charged with providing false information to police in connection to an alleged anti-gay hate crime that investigators now say was an elaborate hoax.

Charlie Rogers

The case against Charlie Rogers, 33, stemmed from her allegedly filing a false report with Lincoln police on July 22 in which she claimed that three masked attackers invaded her home, painted homophobic slurs on the walls, and carved them into her skin, before attempting to set her house on fire.

Rogers, 33, a former standout basketball player at the University of Nebraska and who is openly lesbian, was charged after investigators determined that her claims of being attacked were fabricated.

Rogers has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor of providing false information to police.

During the hearing Thursday, Rogers waived her right to a speedy trial and her attorney Brett McArthur said the delay will give him a chance to wade through the forensic evidence, but declined to comment on anything he already may have found to back up his client’s account.

“She’s been incredibly strong. The outpouring of support for Charlie has been incredible,” McArthur said after court.

Police officials said they never ruled out the possibility that the alleged hate crime may have been a hoax, and in fact, one source within the Lincoln police department, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told LGBTQ Nation in August that detectives were suspicious of the Rogers’ claims from the start of the investigation.

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