Carlee Russell, who faked an interstate kidnapping in Alabama, pleads guilty

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – An Alabama woman who said she was abducted after stopping her automobile to envision on a wandering child pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of providing false information to law enforcement.

News outlets reported that Carlee Russell pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of falsely notifying law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident. She was given a six-month suspended sentence, which is able to allow her to avoid prison. She was ordered to pay greater than $17,000 in restitution.

Her two-day disappearance and interstate kidnapping story captivated the nation before police dismissed her story as a hoax.

Russell, accompanied by her family and defense lawyers in court, apologized for her actions.

“I need to sincerely apologize for my actions. I made the grave mistake of attempting to combat various emotional issues and stress. “I am extremely sorry for the panic, fear and various negative emotions that the entire nation has experienced,” Russell said. in line with WBRC.

Russell disappeared on July 13 after calling 911 to report a small child on a stretch of Interstate 459 in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover. She returned home two days later and told police she had been kidnapped and compelled right into a vehicle.

Police quickly solid in doubt in Russell’s story. Her lawyer issued a press release through the police confirming that there had been no kidnapping and that she had never seen the little child. In a press release, Russell apologized to law enforcement and the volunteers who looked for her.

The Alabama Attorney General’s Office argued that Russell should spend time in prison due to the time and energy law enforcement spent trying to find her.

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Jefferson County District Judge David Carpenter told Russell that while her actions caused panic and confusion in the community, putting her in jail for misdemeanors can be a “waste of resources,” news outlets reported.

Katherine Robertson, chief counsel in the Alabama attorney general’s office, said Thursday that they were “disappointed but not surprised” that Russell didn’t get the required prison sentence.

Robertson stated that “current law provides a small penalty for false reporting and does not address situations such as Ms. Russell’s that result in a significant law enforcement response.” Alabama lawmakers are considering a bill this 12 months that may increase penalties for falsely reporting crimes. The Office of the Attorney General supports these efforts.

“The next time law enforcement is needlessly wasted in this way, the perpetrator will be forever criminalized,” Robertson said.