A Michigan woman was hit with felony charges this week for her role in an elaborate catfishing scheme that targeted her own daughter, which she later tried to blame on other teens.
Kendra Gail Licari, 42, of Mt. Pleasant, was arrested and charged Monday with two counts of stalking a minor, two counts of using a computer to commit a crime, and one count of obstruction of justice, The Morning Sun reported.
The case against Licari is the culmination of a year-long investigation that started with a Dec. 2021 complaint to Beal City Schools that Licari’s daughter and her then-boyfriend were being cyberbullied.
The harassment allegedly began in early 2021, Isabella County Prosecutor David Barberi told the outlet Monday.
At the time the report was made, Licari was employed by Beal City Schools as a girls’ basketball coach.
Barberi confirmed Licari and the other student’s mother cooperated with school officials in the initial investigation. Because most of the harassment did not take place on school property and did not use school devices, the district passed the complaint on to local law enforcement in Jan. 2022.
Licari was eventually identified as the culprit in late spring, when FBI analysts identified her IP addresses as those used to send the cruel messages.
Barberi told The Morning Sun that his office has since compiled 349 pages of text and social media correspondence implicating Licari.
Neither the prosecutor’s office nor Beal City Schools’ Superintendent William Chilman immediately returned The Post’s requests for a comment.
In addition to the bullying the teens, Licari accused of using virtual private networks in an attempt to frame her daughter’s peers.
When confronted with evidence against her, Licari reportedly made a full confession.
She was released on $5,000 bond following her arraignment Monday. While she has not divulged the motive for her actions, she is due back in court on Dec. 29 to determine if there is sufficient evidence to proceed with a trial.
Using a computer to commit a crime carries a possible 10-year sentence, while stalking a minor and obstructions of justice carry five-year penalties.
Attempts to reach Licari on Friday were unsuccessful.