Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 269, § 13A (2026)

False reports to police officers

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 13A. Whoever intentionally and knowingly makes or causes to be made a false report of a crime to police officers shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than one year, or both.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 20 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1992–2026 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Gernrich, 67 N.E.3d 1196 (Mass. 2017).

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Commonwealth v. Gernrich, 67 N.E.3d 1196 (Mass. 2017). · cites it 24× “Gernrich, was convicted of making a false report of a crime to a police officer in violation of G. L. c. 269, § 13A. The complaint charged that the defendant, an inmate, falsely reported a sexual assault to a deputy sheriff employed at the facility.”

Commonwealth v. Fortuna, 951 N.E.2d 687 (Mass. App. Ct. 2011). · cites it 4× “268, § 13B, and making a false report of a crime, G. L. c. 269, § 13A. On appeal, he argues that his motion to suppress evidence seized from him in the hospital should have been granted.”

Commonwealth v. McDowell, 814 N.E.2d 1139 (Mass. App. Ct. 2004). · cites it 2× “266, § 139; G. L. c. 269, § 13A. That the word “intentionally” is not employed in § 127 is perhaps curious but does not itself render the presence of the word in § 126A mere surplusage.”

Commonwealth v. Negron, 808 N.E.2d 294 (Mass. 2004). “In addition, it is a crime for a citizen to make a false report of a crime to police officers, see G. L. c. 269, § 13A, a factor that “bolsters the reliability of the report[].”

Commonwealth v. Nunez, 841 N.E.2d 1250 (Mass. 2006). “See G. L. c. 269, § 13A. This factor “bolsters the reliability of the report[].”

Commonwealth v. Love, 775 N.E.2d 1264 (Mass. App. Ct. 2002). “See G. L. c. 269, § 13A (“Whoever intentionally and knowingly makes or causes to be made a false report of a crime to police officers shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction…”

Commonwealth v. Morse, 468 Mass. 360 (Mass. 2014). “268, § 40; and to knowingly and intentionally make a false report of crime, G. L. c. 269, § 13A. One of the broader statutes in the category of “crimes against public justice” is § 13B, the statute under which the defendant in this case was convicted of misleading a police…”

Commonwealth v. Grinkley, 688 N.E.2d 458 (Mass. App. Ct. 1997). “Her inaccessibility (and resultant unaccountability for providing false information, see G. L. c. 269, § 13A) made this informant barely distinguishable from an anonymous tipster.”

Commonwealth v. King, 886 N.E.2d 727 (Mass. App. Ct. 2008). “The Commonwealth argues that the reliability of the police report is bolstered by the fact that it is a crime for a citizen to make a false report of a crime to police officers, see G. L. c. 269, § 13A. Given Ziccardi’s lack of cooperation with the court and police in the past,…”

Commonwealth v. Salyer, 996 N.E.2d 488 (Mass. App. Ct. 2013). “Following a trial by jury, the defendant, Angelina Salyer, was found guilty of making a false report of a crime in violation of G. L. c. 269, § 13A, and criminal harassment in violation of G.”

United States v. Legault, 323 F. Supp. 2d 217 (D. Mass. 2004). “2d 1264 (2002) (same, noting that an identified informant exposes herself to a charge of filing a false report with police under G.L. c. 269, § 13A). See also United States v.”

Commonwealth v. Kelly, 871 N.E.2d 1103 (Mass. App. Ct. 2007). “The defendant argues that because Officer Holmquist completed the report using the defendant’s oral statements, and Massachusetts statutes distinguish between oral and written statements, these oral statements cannot satisfy the statute’s written statement requirement.”

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