Florida mother arrested after lying about her kid's 'stolen' Christmas gifts, deputies say

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A Florida mother who reported to law enforcement that her children's Christmas gifts were stolen was arrested after it turned out she lied, deputies said. 

According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, on November 19, 39-year-old Shana Hudson told deputies that someone stole items from inside her home in Lehigh Acres – leaving her children without Christmas gifts. 

In an effort to lessen the blow, detectives coordinated a donation with the Lehigh Acres American Legion along with funds from the sheriff's office to surprise Hudson with new gifts. 

But, during the investigation, a Crime Stoppers tip led detectives to evidence that determined Hudson lied about the burglary. 

The alleged stolen items were later found hidden inside a family member's home behind a washing machine and underneath bed sheets, according to a Facebook post. 

Hudson was arrested for making a fraudulent false report to law enforcement.