After 9-hour search, woman admits to Indian River County deputies most info about 'missing' man not true

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A search for a missing man became an investigation into a hoax late Wednesday when detectives charged a woman for giving authorities false information about her supposedly missing boyfriend. 

A nine-hour search for the man reported missing was called off after Megan Gorney, 23, of Saginaw, Michigan, told the Indian River County Sheriff's Office most of the information she gave them about the man was not true. That included his name, date of birth and false medical conditions, sheriff's spokesman Maj. Eric Flowers said. 

Previous story:Indian River County deputies locate missing man who disappeared in south county area

The truth was, Gorney and her boyfriend were in a drug-induced stupor that led to the authorities being called, Flowers said.

"We spent many man hours on this search, and we intend to charge her for the expenses," Flowers said. 

The events began about 11:12 a.m. Wednesday when several people heard Gorney screaming for help near the Oslo boat ramp, 300 Ninth St., in the southern part of the county, Flowers said.

Deputies arrived and helped Gorney out of the mangroves. Paramedics took her to a hospital to be checked out. 

After the hospital check, Gorney told deputies her boyfriend, later identified as 29-year-old Shane Bernard, of Gladwin, Michigan, was missing, Flowers said. She told deputies Bernard had a head injury and Asperger's syndrome, an autism disorder. 

None of that information about Bernard was true, Flowers said.

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Gorney provided a photo of Bernard, but gave deputies a false name for him. 

The Sheriff's Office put out information about Bernard through social and news media, and sent up its helicopter for an aerial search, according to the arrest affidavit. 

It was 9 p.m. when Gorney told deputies she had lied about her boyfriend's identity. Deputies determined Bernard was wanted in Michigan for charges of domestic violence and a parole violation.

Gorney was charged with making a false report to law enforcement. She was being held Thursday at the Indian River County Jail in lieu of $2,500 bail. 

Thursday morning, Bernard showed up at the Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute's stand-alone emergency room near Oslo Road.

Deputies took him into custody for the Michigan warrants, as well as a local charge for giving false information to a law enforcement officer, according to the Indian River County Jail website.

Bernard was being held without bail Thursday. 

Stancil is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Contact Stancil at 321-987-7179 or lamaur.stancil@tcpalm.com. Twitter: @TCPalmLStancil