NASA astronaut's estranged spouse accused of filing false claim of crime in space
HOUSTON, Texas -- The estranged wife of a NASA astronaut has been accused of falsely claiming her spouse accessed her bank account from space.
Summer Worden is accused of allegedly filing the false complaint against astronaut Anne McClain twice--first with the FTC in March 2019 and later in July 2019 during an interview with NASA's Inspector General.
Worden claimed in Aug. 2019 McClain illegally accessed her financial records while aboard the International Space Station in an effort to gain custody of Worden's young son, Briggs.
Worden brought an FTC complaint against McClain for identity theft, potentially the first criminal allegation from space. She alleged McClain used a space station computer to access her bank account on Earth without her permission.
WATCH: More from Good Morning America's interview with Summer Worden
Worden's parents then filed a complaint about the issue with NASA.
At the time, McClain's lawyer said she was only monitoring the account to ensure the boy's well being.
But, the Wordens alleged McClain put strenuous demands on their family, including that she be able to legally adopt Briggs. Worden said she told McClain, "no," which she claimed McClain did not respect.
Worden's mother, Beth, had said, "It seems like Anne (McClain) controls our life. We have to be home at 7 o'clock, three nights a week, so she can FaceTime with him (Briggs). Well that's the time that we're eating dinner, just getting home from soccer practice."
While in space, McClain tried to get a gag order to seal the court fight but was denied.
McClain later tweeted a statement, saying:
"There's unequivocally no truth to these claims. We've been going through a painful, personal separation that's now unfortunately in the media. I appreciate the outpouring of support and will reserve comment until after the investigation. I have total confidence in the IG process."
According to the indictment, Worden maintained multiple accounts at her bank. She allegedly shared access to her online accounts with McClain until at least Jan. 31, 2019.
Worden claimed she had opened a new account on Sept. 2018 and reset her login information in order to prevent McClain from accessing them. However, the indictment alleges she actually opened the account in April 2018 and didn't change her login information until Jan. 2019.
Worden is expected to make her initial appearance in court on April 13. If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison for each count and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
