HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Prosecutors in Garland County have filed a perjury charge against a woman who allegedly wore a fake belly and falsely testified she was pregnant while on trial in February for using a stolen credit card.
Christina Marie Gaston, 48, was under oath when she reportedly testified before a jury on Feb. 12 that she was pregnant, according to court records. She was found guilty the same day of theft by receiving, credit/debit card, and fraudulent use of a credit/debit card. The charges had been enhanced from misdemeanors to felonies because of Gaston’s prior criminal history.
The punishment phase of Gaston’s trial began after she was found guilty on Feb. 12 but did not wrap up until Feb. 13. After being convicted on Feb. 12, Gaston was remanded to custody. She had been free on a $3,500 bond since June 2023.
When Gaston was searched upon entering the jail, staff allegedly discovered she was wearing a “fake silicone pregnancy device,” court records state. She was also given a pregnancy test which showed a negative result.
On Feb. 13, the state obtained a court order for Gaston’s medical records from the jail. That day the jury sentenced Gaston to a maximum 15-year term as a habitual offender.
If found guilty of perjury as a habitual offender, Gaston faces five to 30 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.
She is currently being held in the McPherson Unit of the Arkansas Dept. of Corrections. Prison records show that Gaston has been sentenced to prison multiple times beginning in 2001. Her criminal history includes prior convictions for fraudulent use of a credit card, forgery and financial identity fraud, prison records show.
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