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Woman claims robbery to score more Xanax
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A 29-year-old mother was arrested Wednesday morning after falsely reporting a robbery in order to get more prescription medication.

According to reports from The Covington Police Department, an officer was called to Ingles on U.S. Highway 278 in reference to a snatch and grab. When the officer arrived he met with the "victim," Lynn Tankersley, who allegedly told him that while walking toward the supermarket, a black male came up from behind her and snatched her purse off her shoulder.

Tankersley allegedly told the officer that she did not know which way the man came from and that she was carrying her child at the time of the incident. She described the man as skinny with a bald head and said he ran off in the direction of the Bypass Road. She said the purse he took was a black Chanel and all that was inside of it was her license, food stamp card, $20 and her prescription for Xanax.

While speaking with Tankersley, the officer noted in his report that she was incredibly calm for someone who had just been robbed and that she seemed more worried about her prescription for Xanax than anything else. Her child was reportedly buckled in a car seat and Tankersley kept repeating that she needed a note from the police in order to get another prescription from her doctor’s office.

The officer explained to her that if she was lying about being robbed in order to get a prescription for more Xanax she would be placed under arrest, but she allegedly stuck with her story about being robbed. He asked Tankersley to open the trunk of her vehicle and she complied, according to reports. Inside the officer noticed a purse which contained a black wallet with all of her information inside of it and a $20 bill. When asked if that was the purse that had been stolen she allegedly said "no," and that her purse that was stolen had only her Xanax prescription on it.

According to reports the officer explained once more that falsely reporting a crime was against the law and she would be arrested for it. After a few moments, Tankersley allegedly told the officer that she had been lying about being robbed and that she wanted to get more Xanax because she was addicted to it.

Her mother was called to the scene to pick up Tankersley’s child and vehicle. Tankersley was transported to the Newton County Detention Center, where she was charged with filing a false report of a crime and false statements to a law enforcement officer.