An Alabama woman who admitted that she lied about being kidnapped last year was sentenced by a judge this week to probation and to pay restitution.
Carlee Russell, 26, was charged last summer with two misdemeanors — falsely reporting to law enforcement authorities and falsely reporting an incident — and was subsequently found guilty of both counts.
Russell had told law enforcement officials that she had been kidnapped after she went missing for two days. She later admitted to making up the entire incident.
Hoover Municipal Judge Brad Bishop recommended last fall that Russell pay $18,000 in restitution and spend a year in prison.
Russell’s team appealed the ruling in an attempt to get her out of having to spend time in jail, ABC News reported. Their effort was successful as Russell was sentenced to pay $17,974.88 restitution to the city of Hoover and 12 months of supervised probation, community service, and evidence of continued mental health counseling, the report added.
The Alabama Attorney General’s Office said that they were “disappointed, but not surprised” that Russell avoided going to jail, but noted that changes would soon be happening in the state that would prevent someone from getting off the hook in the future.
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