OIL CITY, Pa. (EYT) — An Oil City woman is facing criminal charges after allegedly making false statements to police and aiding an individual wanted on outstanding warrants.

Court documents indicate the Oil City Police Department filed criminal charges against 56-year-old Dorene M. Giannini, of Oil City.

False Reports to Law Enforcement

According to a criminal complaint, around 9:10 a.m. on May 25, Dorene Giannini went to the Oil City Police Department and “knowingly gave false information with the intent to implicate a known individual in the crime of simple assault.”

The complaint states that Giannini reported that during a verbal dispute, the individual pushed her down and struck her in the face with a closed fist. Based on the information she provided, Patrolman Culp obtained an arrest warrant for the individual.

On July 14, Giannini returned to the Oil City Police Department and recanted her previous statement.

According to the complaint, she said she had lied, and the individual had not struck her. She said she knew what she did was wrong and illegal and she “must make this right and face the consequences.”

Giannini was arraigned at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, July 23, in Magisterial District Judge Andrew F. Fish’s office on two counts of second-degree misdemeanor false reports.

Unable to post $10,000.00 monetary bail, she was lodged in the Venango County Jail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 1, with Judge Fish presiding.

Hindering Apprehension

In an unrelated incident, Patrolman Culp spoke to Dorene Giannini on July 21, and she stated that on July 14, she was driving a known individual to Central Court in Franklin when they learned that the hearing they were to attend had been rescheduled for a later date, according to a criminal complaint.

Giannini then drove the individual to a location in Erie knowing that the individual was wanted for outstanding warrants, the complaint states.

Giannini allegedly had contact with “the wanted individual again on July 20 when she supplied him with clothing and a cell phone,” the complaint indicates.

Giannini was arraigned at 8:50 p.m. on Saturday, July 21, in Magisterial District Judge Andrew F. Fish’s office on one count of second-degree misdemeanor hindering apprehension or providing aid.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:30 pm on Wednesday, July 25, with Judge Fish presiding.

Court documents also indicate that Giannini faces DUI: Controlled Substance and related charges stemming from a June 8, 2018 incident in Sugarcreek Borough.