Lindsay Lohan Will Be Charged with Lying to Cops -- Faces Jail Time

10:59AM PDT: Sources at the L.A. City Attorney's Office tell TMZ ... they were unaware the Santa Monica City Attorney was going to file criminal charges against Lindsay until they read our post this morning. They are "gathering information" but so far no decision has been made regarding a possible probation violation in Lindsay's jewelry heist case.

Lindsay Lohan will be charged with the crime of lying to police after her car accident in June on Pacific Coast Highway ... TMZ has learned.

We broke the story ... Lohan told cops she was NOT behind the wheel of her Porsche when it slammed into the back of an 18-wheeler. Fact is she was -- according to multiple witnesses.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... the case will be filed as a misdemeanor by the Santa Monica City Attorney ... possibly this week.

The charge could spell huge trouble for Lindsay, because she's currently on probation for the jewelry heist. The criminal filing could trigger a probation violation, and Judge Stephanie Sautner -- the jewelry judge -- could send her to the slammer for a long, long time.

And law enforcement sources tell us ... cops found prescription pills in her purse after the crash. Witnesses tell us pills were also scattered in her trunk. Our sources say authorities were prepared to charge LiLo with drug crimes, but Lindsay's lawyer, Shawn Holley, gave cops documentations from Lindsay's doctor, saying the pills were properly prescribed. Authorities then backed off that charge.

As for the charge of lying to cops, Lindsay almost dodged that bullet. You may recall, after the accident, Lindsay went to the hospital where she was interviewed by cops, and that's when she told them she wasn't behind the wheel. Her lawyer, Shawn Holley, made a mad dash for the hospital to muzzle her client (

), but she was a few minutes too late.

Comedy and crime -- it's all about timing.