Carlee Russell, the woman who lied about being kidnapped has just went before Judge David Carpenter in Jefferson County Circuit Court where she pled guilty to two misdemeanor counts for filing a false police report. Upon the sentencing, she will be required to pay $18,000 in restitution to Hoover, Alabama, be under supervised probation for 12 months.
She is also required to complete 100 hours of community service along with attending mental health counseling in terms for her probation. Carpenter spoke in the courtroom where he said “It would be a waste of government resources to put you in jail.”
She too apologized for the incident and all of her actions saying:
“I want to genuinely apologize for my actions and the resulting negative impact inflicted onto others. I made a grave mistake while trying to fight through various emotional issues and stress. I’m extremely remorseful for the panic, fear and various range of negative emotions that were experienced across the nation.”
She continued, “I want to specifically acknowledge and take accountability for the pain and embarrassment that I inflicted upon my family, my church family, friends, neighbors, community and all of those who were directly involved in search efforts for me.”