The Chenango County Sheriff's Office says a Village of New Berlin resident was arrested and charged after making a false claim regarding a stolen car to police.

According to the office, Elijah W. Conklin reported that his car had been stolen on December 28th. He claimed the car was stolen from his driveway at some point during the day while he was not home. The office says Conklin gave a statement and signed two documents regarding the alleged crime.

Vehicle information was shared with the Otsego County 911 Center and dispatchers relayed that the vehicle in question had been involved in an accident earlier that day and had fled the scene before law enforcement arrived.

Further investigation determined Conklin matched the description of the driver who had fled the scene. On December 29th, deputies returned to speak with Conklin and his wife. Conklin was arrested and charged with Falsely Reporting an Offense to Law Enforcement and two counts of False Written Statement.