It boggles the mind that it's even possible to manufacture such a charge.

Well, y'see, you were accused of a crime. If you don't admit you are guilty and save us the trouble of due process, well, you'll be punished more severely than if you bent over nice and quick for good ol' Uncle Sam.

Its basically a way for prosecutors to pressure people into plea bargains. It helps them maintain their 90%+ conviction rates.