In a rare case, an Ohio man is facing a felony charge for allegedly lying when testifying in Island County Superior Court during a 2021 hearing in a divorce case, according to court records.

Prosecutors charged James G. Laney on July 23 with perjury in the first degree.

The report by an investigator with the Island County Sheriff’s Office alleges that Laney falsely testified that he didn’t have a job in order to pay less in child support. He falsely claimed under oath that he was living off his savings and hadn’t applied for unemployment after being laid off, the report states.

His ex-wife’s attorney later discovered that Laney had been employed at the time, the report states. The attorney filed a motion asking the judge to reconsider the earlier terms of the divorce. The attorney argued that Laney should pay more in child support and that his child should be covered under his employer’s medical insurance, according to the report.

The judge later ruled that “it’s clear Mr. Laney lied to the court when he was responding to questions about his employment.” The judge recomputed the child support based on the correct information.