TV news anchor accused of faking her own stalker, Pennsylvania police say
A TV news anchor is accused of faking her own stalker after a three-month-long investigation by Pennsylvania authorities, according to news reports.
Haley Potter, 24, a multimedia journalist, TV anchor and producer at Erie News Now told Pennsylvania State Police in April that someone was stalking her, Your Erie reported.
Potter told police she had received text messages, phone calls and voicemail messages from her stalker since February, WTAE reported.
She also told police she later found a handwritten note slid under her apartment door, received flowers at work and had her social media accounts hacked, supposedly the works of her stalker, officials told the Erie Times-News.
But investigators said that “Potter had been responsible for all of the messages and stalker activity she reported having been the victim of,” Your Erie reported.
Charbel Latouf, Potter’s lawyer, told the Erie Times-News, “we reject the allegations wholeheartedly and intend to vigorously defend her against them.”
Potter was charged with with forgery, “false swearing to mislead a public servant” and identity theft, among other charges, Your Erie reported.
Scott MacDowell, news director for Erie News Now, told the Erie Times-News that the station “has been recently made aware of an alleged situation with one of our employees” but that “it is our corporate policy at Erie News Now that we will not offer comment regarding any internal personnel issues or pending legal matters.”
Potter was arraigned on July 11 in Erie County, 120 miles north of Pittsburgh. Her preliminary hearing is July 28, WTAE reported.
This story was originally published July 12, 2022 at 8:45 AM with the headline "TV news anchor accused of faking her own stalker, Pennsylvania police say."
