An Isle of Wight County jury, on Aug. 29, found that a Smithfield woman falsely accused her ex-fiance of rape, and ordered that she pay him $1.85 million in damages.

Virginia Beach lawyer Roger Hinde, 64, alleged in a 2022 lawsuit against 62-year-old Ana Meyers, also spelled “Myers” in other court documents, that the two met in August 2021 via the online dating website match.com and became engaged later that year. 

Hinde’s lawsuit accused Meyers of “malicious prosecution” and “defamation and slander” for having gone to a magistrate days after the couple split up in May 2022 and taken out four felony warrants accusing Hinde of rape and three counts of sexual battery.

The charges, which courts have now twice found baseless, didn’t stick. Hinde’s complaint states he was contacted a day later, on May 23, by Sheriff’s Office Lt. Kimberly Griffin, who said they would remove the charges from the Virginia Criminal Information Network, which otherwise could have caused Hinde to be arrested while driving. By May 24, all four charges were dropped in Isle of Wight Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

“These allegations that she made had a significant impact on his business and really impacted him professionally, personally. It had a severe impact on his social life; it was a really unfortunate situation,” said Crawford Ellsworth, the attorney who represented Hinde in his civil suit.

According to Hinde’s complaint, it wasn’t until after he’d moved in with Meyers at her Smithfield residence in early 2022 that he began to grow suspicious of her “evasive and mendacious behavior.” A background check Hines arranged on Meyers, according to his complaint, revealed her as the alleged owner of multiple properties and assets under a number of aliases and holding companies across the nation.

By May 10 of that year, according to Hinde’s complaint, Meyers had denied knowledge of the property and aliases that had turned up in Hinde’s background check, and “made false claims that she suddenly did not feel safe with” Hinde, prompting him to offer to move out.

By May 21, accompanied by several off-duty Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Hinde returned to collect his belongings – which, according to his complaint, included the $9,300 engagement ring he had given her, a watch collection valued at $4,000 and other antiques and collectibles valued at several hundred to several thousand dollars. The confrontation was less than cordial, and, according to Hinde’s complaint, ended with Meyers striking him and throwing his phone to the ground. Court records indicate an assault and battery charge against Meyers  resulting from the May 21, 2022, incident ended in a deferred disposition, which allows criminal defendants to avoid a conviction if they complete probation or community service. The rape allegation came a day later.

“My client and us are very thankful for the jury and the time they spent, it basically took all day. … I think the message was sent that taking out false charges against people just to cause pain and suffering is not going to be tolerated,” said Ellsworth, who is a member of the law firm Randall and Bruch.

The verdict included $1.5 million in actual damages and $350,000 in punitive damages. The jury had initially awarded $425,000 in punitive damages, Ellsworth said, but Judge Wayne Farmer reduced the award due to state law capping the amount at $350,000.