Carly Russell, the Alabama woman who faked her own kidnapping last year, has pleaded guilty and will not serve any prison time.
On Thursday, Russell pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of filing a false police report.
Jefferson County Judge David Karpneter sentenced her to 12 months of supervised probation, 100 hours of community service and to pay $17,974.88 in restitution to the city of Hoover. The judge also ordered that Russell must continue to receive mental health counseling.
During the hearing, Carpenter lashed out at Russell, saying the community was outraged by her stunt.
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An undated police handout photo shows Carly Russell posing for a photo. Russell reappeared at his parents’ home two days after he was reported missing and was charged with two misdemeanor counts of making a false report to law enforcement. (Hoover Police Department)
“It’s a waste of resources to put you in jail. It’s a waste of resources to put you on trial. We’re angry at your actions, but we’re not going to treat you any differently than anyone else.” “He was charged with a misdemeanor,” Carpenter said.
Judge Carpenter wasn’t the only one outraged by Russell’s lawsuit.
Back in July, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall told Fox News Digital that the state would seek restitution if there was a conviction, saying misinformation had a “crying wolf” effect on the public. He said it was possible.
“What I think is most damaging is that a lot of the public came forward in response to concerns that there had been an abduction of a young woman and that we were trying to find her,” Marshall previously said. “And I think the concern there is similar to the old crying wolf story, right? If something like this happens in the future, you can ask for help publicly in the same way. mosquito?”
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Carly Russell will appear in Hoover City Court on Wednesday, October 11, 2023. Russell was found guilty in July of faking his own kidnapping. (Fox News Digital’s Dana Mixer)
“And one of the things I know about the people of Alabama is that they are philanthropists and good people and they want to help their neighbors,” he said.
Russell was visibly shaken as prosecutors from the Alabama Attorney General’s Office argued for Russell to spend time in prison, given the extreme nature of her disappearance and the resources devoted to searching for her. did.
She spoke in court for the first time and admitted her actions.
“I would like to sincerely apologize for my actions and the negative impact I had on others as a result. I made a serious mistake while trying to deal with various emotional issues and stress,” Russell said in a statement. “We deeply regret the panic, fear and various negative emotions experienced across the country.”
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Carly Russell was charged with two misdemeanors after faking her own kidnapping in Hoover, Alabama. (Hoover Police Department)
“I want to specifically acknowledge and take responsibility for the pain and embarrassment I have caused to my family, church family, friends, neighbors, community, and all those directly involved in my search efforts,” Russell said. added.
A retrial is scheduled for Oct. 16 to confirm the amount of restitution paid and the amount of community service completed.
On July 13, 2023, Russell, then a 25-year-old nursing student, called 911 and told Hoover police she had seen the toddler on the side of the road and that she had been kidnapped. When police arrived, Russell was nowhere to be found.
Over the next 49 hours, hundreds of police officers and volunteers searched for her and the missing toddler.
Russell returned to his home around 10:45 p.m. on July 15, and police said he had been seen walking on the sidewalk beforehand.
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An undated police handout photo shows Carly Russell posing for a photo. (Hoover Police Department)
Russell claimed the man “forced her into the car” and the last thing she remembers was being in an 18-wheel trailer. She was able to escape from the truck and fled the scene on foot, but she was recaptured and put in a vehicle, police said.
Russell claimed he was blindfolded but “not tied up” because he didn’t want his captors to leave marks on his wrists. Russell then told police he believed people took him to his home, forced him to take his clothes off and also took pictures of him.
She also allegedly told police that she had no sexual contact with the men.
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According to a conversation with police, the day after he was taken away, Russell woke up and found that a woman had given him a cheese cracker.
She later admitted to police that the whole story was made up.
Fox News’ Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
