Phew! An Ohio woman has pleaded guilty after calling 911 nearly 400 times. The calls turned out to be “nonexistent emergencies.” In response, the Muskingum County District Attorney's Office suggested: Kesha Kennedy charged with a felony and a misdemeanor.
She was charged with one count of disrupting public services, one count of setting off false alarms, and 25 counts of misuse of 911 systems.
District Attorney Ron Welch issued a press release about the case on July 15, announcing that the Zanesville resident pleaded guilty during a July 12 court hearing before Judge Mark C. Fleegle.
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In Welch's press release, Kesha Kennedy is accused of “using local emergency services for her own personal entertainment.” The 34-year-old is said to have taken an ambulance to the hospital over 300 times! What's more, these pointless trips were financed with taxpayer money, as Kesha paid the bill through Medicaid.
“There obviously needs to be some kind of check or balance to ensure that this type of abuse by the emergency services is reported to law enforcement more quickly, because 350 pointless ambulance rides is absolutely ridiculous,” said MC Assistant District Attorney John Litle.
Litle said his office launched an investigation after South Zanesville Police Chief Mark Ross alerted them to the “serial abuse of 911.”
Kesha Kennedy began answering local emergency call centers' phones in 2020. Each time she called the number, she complained of an illness. Her calls resulted in responses from the South Zanesville Fire Department (SZFD) and other emergency responders.
Their non-emergencies prevented others from receiving care “in true emergencies,” the press release said. In one case, SZFD staff were unable to reach a man who was unable to breathe in time because they were handling one of Kennedy's fake calls. The man later died.
“In another case, SZFD was understaffed at a fire because staff was attending to Kennedy,” the statement said. “Kennedy called 911 multiple times each week, sometimes multiple times a day.”
Meanwhile, Genesis Hospital staff repeatedly told Kesha Kennedy that she had no medical problems or emergencies. Like the ambulance rides, the cost of each visit was covered by Medicaid.
What’s next for Kesha S. Kennedy?
Before she pleaded guilty, a forensic psychologist examined the 34-year-old. They also concluded that she was suffering from a “factitious disorder,” which meant that she was a notorious liar, said prosecutor Litle.
The verdict is expected to be announced at a later date. It is unclear whether the judge will take into account Kennedy's history of abusing 911 calls.
The press release said she was charged and found guilty in 2023 of setting off the emergency call system in Licking County, Ohio. In an incident in August, she pretended to be unable to stand or walk at Licking Memorial Hospital. She then pretended to pass out after emergency responders helped her sit on a bench.
When officers spoke with her after she faked waking up, she claimed to be disabled and unaware of her Miranda rights. After speaking with hospital staff, police confirmed that she was not disabled and did not require medical treatment.
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What do you think, roommates?
