Woman jailed for false kidnapping and rape claim

Story here. Excerpt:

'Leshia Ashmore, 51, of Ovett said that she was at a convenient store in Ellisville when she was taken at gunpoint and driven to an unknown location and forcibly raped.

Jones County officials launched an extensive investigation and found that Ashmore's allegations were not true.

Sheriff Alex Hodge said making false claims is a waste of resources and money for the sheriff's department and the Ellisville Police Department.

“Make no mistake, it is against the law to falsely report a crime, but not only does it waste our professional team's time and the tax payers' money, it also is a slap in the face to actual victims who muster up the last bit of strength he or she has to report an offense.” Hodge said, “The Jones County Sheriff's Department will pursue charges against Ashmore, because these were serious charges and investigated fully, taking valuable time away from legitimate cases.”'