In March 2013, 30-year-old Tamica Lincoln, the shift manager at a McDonalds in the east Texas town of Longview, took pity on a fellow-employee who identified herself as 15-year-old Charity Stevens. Stevens said she was an orphan who had been abused by her now dead parents. The five-foot, three-hundred pound girl said she needed a place to live.
Feeling sorry for this child, Tamica Lincoln took her in and became Charity's unofficial guardian. Lincoln fed the girl and bought her clothing. In the fall of 2014 Lincoln enrolled Charity as a tenth grade student at the New Life Christian School in Longview. To explain why there were no academic transcripts from previous schools, Charity said she had been home schooled. At the New Life Christian School Charity made friends and earned good grades.
Charity's life as a teenager came to an abrupt end on May 13, 2014 when Tamica Lincoln learned that the girl she had been taking care of, at age 34, was four years older than her. Charity Stevens in reality was Charity Anne Johnson. Instead of being born in November 1997 she had entered the world in 1980.
Upon the shocking discovery, Lincoln called the school then notified the police. She wanted Charity Johnson out of her house.
Following a brief police investigation a Gregg County prosecutor charged Johnson with the misdemeanor offense of providing false information to the police. Officers booked the impostor into the county jail in lieu of $500 bond. (Johnson could have been charged with the more serious offense of theft by deception.) According to the police Johnson did not have a criminal record.
Feeling sorry for this child, Tamica Lincoln took her in and became Charity's unofficial guardian. Lincoln fed the girl and bought her clothing. In the fall of 2014 Lincoln enrolled Charity as a tenth grade student at the New Life Christian School in Longview. To explain why there were no academic transcripts from previous schools, Charity said she had been home schooled. At the New Life Christian School Charity made friends and earned good grades.
Charity's life as a teenager came to an abrupt end on May 13, 2014 when Tamica Lincoln learned that the girl she had been taking care of, at age 34, was four years older than her. Charity Stevens in reality was Charity Anne Johnson. Instead of being born in November 1997 she had entered the world in 1980.
Upon the shocking discovery, Lincoln called the school then notified the police. She wanted Charity Johnson out of her house.
Following a brief police investigation a Gregg County prosecutor charged Johnson with the misdemeanor offense of providing false information to the police. Officers booked the impostor into the county jail in lieu of $500 bond. (Johnson could have been charged with the more serious offense of theft by deception.) According to the police Johnson did not have a criminal record.
Tamica Lincoln, in speaking to a local television reporter, said, "I sympathized with her and invited her into my home. I took her in as a child, did her hair, got her clothes and shoes."
All along this good samaritan had been caring for an impostor. This case fell squarely into the "no good deed goes unpunished" category.
All along this good samaritan had been caring for an impostor. This case fell squarely into the "no good deed goes unpunished" category.
Three months following her arrest Charity Johnson pleaded guilty in return for a sentence of 84 days in the local jail.
No way a 34 year old woman can be confused for a 15 year old girl.
ReplyDeleteSure they can! Or even a boy...
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Reminds me of that case a few years back in France where a middle-aged mum dressed up like her teenaged daughter to take the end of high school baccalaureate exams. The officials spotted her straight away but let her take the 5 hour exam before arresting her. Who says the French don't have a sense of humor?
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