Woman accused of false charge fails to show

AUSTINTOWN -- A woman who is charged with falsely accusing an Austintown police officer of raping her did not appear in court for a scheduled pretrial hearing Monday.
Mahoning County Court Judge David D'Apolito told John Juhasz, attorney for Charmin Merchant, 34, of Amanda, Ohio, that he will issue a warrant Thursday for Merchant's arrest for failing to appear on a falsification charge. Juhasz said after the hearing that he thinks Merchant is ill and has until Thursday to make an appearance before the warrant goes out.
Merchant reported to police Feb. 15 that an officer with whom she had had a romantic relationship raped her and hit her Feb. 14 in her hotel room at the Fairfield Inn on North Niles-Canfield Road.
The officer was never charged. Police Chief Robert Gavalier said in February that instead, Merchant was charged after an investigation by his department and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.
Merchant pleaded innocent at an arraignment March 6.