Wow! An Ohio woman has entered her plea after racking up charges for making nearly 400 911 calls. It turns out the calls were for “non-existent emergencies.” In response, the Muskingum County District Attorney’s Office to knock Kesha Kennedy with felony and misdemeanor charges.
She was charged with a felony count of disrupting public services, a felony count of making false alarms and 25 counts of misuse of 911 systems.
Prosecutor Ron Welch released a press release about the case on July 15. In it, he revealed that the Zanesville resident pleaded guilty during a July 12 court hearing with Judge Mark C. Fleegle.
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Welch’s press release accuses Kesha Kennedy of “using local first responders for her personal entertainment.” The 34-year-old reportedly rode an ambulance to the hospital over 300 times! What’s more, taxpayer dollars funded these useless trips, as Kesha paid for the bill using Medicaid.
“Obviously, some kind of check or balance needs to be in place so that this type of abuse is reported more quickly by EMS to law enforcement, because 350 senseless ambulance trips is absolutely ridiculous,” said MC Assistant District Attorney John Litle.
Litle said his office launched an investigation after South Zanesville Police Chief Mark Ross brought to their attention the “serial abuse of 9/11.”
Kesha Kennedy began ringing the phones of local 911 operators in 2020. Every time she called their line, she complained of an illness. Her 911 calls led to responses from the South Zanesville Fire Department (SZFD) and other first responders.
His non-emergencies prevented others “experiencing real emergencies” from being treated, according to the press release. In one case, SZFD first responders were unable to reach a man who was unable to breathe in time because they were dealing with one of Kennedy’s false calls. The man later died.
“In another instance, SZFD was understaffed at a fire due to personnel responding to Kennedy,” the statement said. “Kennedy called 911 multiple times a week, sometimes calling first responders multiple times in a single day.”
Meanwhile, staff at Genesis Hospital repeatedly told Kesha Kennedy that she had no medical issues or emergencies to attend to. As well as the ambulance rides, Medicaid also paid for each visit.
What’s next for Kesha S. Kennedy?
Before her guilty plea, a forensic psychologist evaluated the 34-year-old woman. They also concluded that she has a “factitious disorder,” meaning she is a chronic liar, according to prosecutor Litle.
She is expected to be sentenced at a later date. It is unclear whether the judge will take into account Kennedy’s past abusive 911 calls.
The press release revealed that she was charged and found guilty in 2023 of issuing 911 calls in Licking County, Ohio. In an August incident, she pretended to lose the ability to stand or walk while at Licking Memorial Hospital. She then pretended to faint after first responders helped her sit on a bench.
When officers spoke to her after she pretended to wake up, she claimed to be disabled and unable to understand 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?