Baytown woman sentenced for using fake texts to frame ex-boyfriend

Lisa Marie Garcia, 22, is charged with online impersonation and retaliation. She is accused of sending herself fake threats in an attempt to get her boyfriend, Brandon Berrott, arrested. Lisa Marie Garcia, 22, is charged with online impersonation and retaliation. She is accused of sending herself fake threats in an attempt to get her boyfriend, Brandon Berrott, arrested. Photo: Courtesy: Harris County Photo: Courtesy: Harris County Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Baytown woman sentenced for using fake texts to frame ex-boyfriend 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A young Baytown woman is free this week after spending a year in the Harris County jail for fabricating cellphone texts and fraudulent social media accounts that made it appear her ex-boyfriend was trying to kill her and bribe a state district judge.

The criminal episode illustrates how easily a vengeful ex-lover, adept in the manipulation of social media, can wreak havoc in the life of a former companion. In this case, the woman’s former boyfriend was jailed three times, paid thousands in bond fees, and even lost a job.

Lisa Marie Garcia, 23, pleaded guilty in exchange for two years of probation and will now have two felony convictions on her record, prosecutors said Thursday.

“She put one young man through hell and defamed a judge, but after speaking with her victims and their lawyers, we all agree this is the right thing to do,” Assistant District Attorney John Wakefield said. “She has already spent a year in jail, and for the next two years, will be on a short leash that subjects her to up to 10 years in prison if she violates probation.”

The prosecutor noted Garcia will have a permanent conviction on her record that can’t be erased, “so she can never hide from the deeds she has done.”

Garcia was convicted of retaliation and online harassment for using fake social media accounts and cellphone applications to manufacture false threats and claims that appeared to be from her ex-boyfriend got him jailed at least three times, and cost him his job.

Those phony texts, along with Garcia’s false statements to police at different agencies, resulted in Brandon Berrott arrested for making terroristic threats in September 2017. Berrott was apparently in a relationship with Garcia and another woman and has children with both women, court records show.

After he made bail on his first charge, Garcia set up Instagram accounts pretending to be him and sent messages to herself threatening to kill her for calling the cops on him. She took the messages to the Baytown Police Department and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, leading to seven charges being filed between Oct. 21 and Oct. 31, 2017.

As the fake threats continued, he was sent back to jail for violating the terms of his bail, which included not contacting her. He continued bailing himself out, costing him thousands of dollars in fees to bondsmen and attorneys.

Frustrated with his ability to make bail, Garcia eventually called the mayor of Baytown on Thanksgiving weekend last year to demand an investigation of state District Judge Brad Hart, who was presiding over Berrott’s cases. Garcia claimed Berrott’s mother, who works for Harris County, had bribed Hart to continue allowing Berrott to make bail.

“(Garcia) expressed to me her frustration with Judge Hart for continuing to let Berrott out on bond.” a Harris County Sheriff’s investigator wrote in the criminal charge.

As prosecutors and Berrott’s attorney continued to investigate, they were able to clear Berrott and Hart of any wrongdoing. Garcia was arrested in December 2017, and remained there since she was unable to post bail.

On Monday, she took the plea deal because she has three children, including a newborn, who she hasn’t seen since her arrest, her attorney said.

“She was in custody for almost an entire year,” said her lawyer Melissa Dickson. “Neither of the complainants, (Barrott and the judge) felt it was appropriate for her to get a deferred adjudication, they wanted to make sure it was a conviction. Everybody seemed to be OK with this result.”

Carl Moore, Berrott’s attorney, confirmed that his client wanted Garcia to have felony convictions on her record.

“She tormented my client,” he said. “He was arrested several times, spent time in jail, lost his job and couldn’t get a new job. You can’t go back and unring a bell.”

Moore said the case shows what can happen when people use social media and new technology to manipulate the criminal justice system.

“Hopefully it will serve as a warning to people out there that you can’t just do this,” he said. “It takes away from real victims.”

brian.rogers@chron.com

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