It is a criminal offense to make a false police report of a crime—knowingly and with the intent to deceive—if the statement is material to a criminal investigation and is made to (1) a peace officer or federal special investigator conducting the investigation; (2) any employee of a law enforcement agency that is authorized by the agency to conduct the investigation and that the person making the statement knows is conducting the investigation; or (3) a corrections officer or jailer.

The crime of making a false police report may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or as a felony, depending on the state, and is punishable in many states by jail time, fines, community service, and probation. The definitions and punishments for the crime of making a false police report vary from state to state and are usually located in a state’s statutes.

In South Dakota, it is indeed a criminal offense to knowingly make a false report of a crime with the intent to deceive. This applies when the false statement is material to a criminal investigation and is made to a peace officer, federal special investigator, authorized law enforcement agency employee, corrections officer, or jailer. The specific statutes that address this issue can be found in the South Dakota Codified Laws (SDCL). The severity of the charge, whether misdemeanor or felony, and the corresponding penalties such as jail time, fines, community service, or probation, depend on the circumstances of the offense and the discretion of the prosecuting attorney. The exact definitions, penalties, and procedures are outlined in the relevant sections of the SDCL, and an attorney can provide detailed guidance on how these laws may apply to a specific situation.