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50 fake 911 emergency calls lands man in prison

Some of the bogus calls for help he made to FDNY claimed there were people trapped in fires

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — A New York City man has been sentenced to six years in prison for calling 911 more than 50 times to report fake emergencies.

Ronald DeShields was sentenced Thursday.

The calls, made between January and February 2014, included false claims of police-involved shootings, law enforcement in need of assistance and fires with people trapped. DeShields had the phone used for the calls when he was arrested.

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown says his actions put lives at risk by preventing rescuers from responding to real emergencies.

DeShields was convicted in April on charges of falsely reporting an incident and reckless endangerment.

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