GILLETTE, Wyo. — A felony charge has been filed against a woman who allegedly provided false information under oath resulting in an innocent man’s arrest, Campbell County court records say.
Shalynn Moss, 22, was arrested earlier this month for felony perjury after falsely claiming her ex-boyfriend violated the terms of a protection order and had broken into her home in December 2023, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in the case.
A temporary protection order was granted to Moss in early December in response to her ex-boyfriend’s alleged actions, where he was accused of sending threatening messages to her and her current boyfriend through a messaging application on three occasions, according to the affidavit.
After the third report from Moss and her boyfriend, Gillette police submitted an affidavit of probable cause to the Campbell County Attorney’s Office alleging the ex-boyfriend violated the temporary protection order. He was taken into custody following a protection order hearing in Campbell County Circuit Court, per the affidavit.
While the ex-boyfriend was residing in the Campbell County Detention Center, Moss’s boyfriend reported receiving more messages, the affidavit states, adding that jail surveillance showed the ex-boyfriend talking with detention officers in plain view at the time the messages were sent.
Gillette police contacted Moss regarding the suspicious circumstances surrounding the protection order violation reports. She was not aware that her ex-boyfriend was in custody and — upon learning of the man’s arrest — reportedly admitted to creating a TextNow account to pose as her ex-boyfriend while sending messages to her boyfriend, per the affidavit.
In a follow-up interview, Moss reportedly said she sent the messages to her boyfriend to protect her family and had gotten the idea to do so from an individual who wanted to get her ex-boyfriend in trouble, the affidavit states. She also admitted to posing as her ex-boyfriend to send a message admitting his involvement in the break-in.
Per court documents, the investigation revealed Moss had falsely testified under oath against her ex-boyfriend in Circuit Court, knowing the messages used as evidence in the case had been sent by her and not him.
“These actions led to a protection order being issued and an individual being incarcerated based on the false information,” the affidavit states.
A preliminary hearing has been set for Feb. 13 before Circuit Court Judge Wendy M. Bartlett, who will determine if sufficient probable cause exists to bind the case over to District Court for further proceedings.
