A Texas man was arrested this week after he lied about testing positive for the coronavirus in a Facebook post.
According to the Daily Mail, Michael Lane Brandin,23, was arrested Tuesday after he claimed on Facebook that he tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Friday. A statement from the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office said Brandin’s post said he took the alleged test at Tyler County Hospital and how medical officials told him that the virus became ‘airborne.’ Authorities found out about the post when dozens of people contacted them about Brandin testing positive for the virus.
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A warrant for his arrest was issued by Judge Jacques Blanchette but Brandin turned himself to police later on. Deputies charged him with a class A misdemeanor for false alarm or report. Brandin explained that the post was a mere social media experiment to see how people would react:
‘Brandin advised deputies his post was to make a point that you cannot believe everything you view online,’
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However, the Tyler County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement how the post caused panic among residents in the county and is considered a criminal offense:
‘Knowingly communicating, initiating, or circulating a false report/false alarm of COVID-19 that one *knows is false or baseless*, and that would ordinarily cause action by an official or interrupt the occupation of any place of assembly, can be a criminal offense in the State of Texas,’