Carlee Russell Found Guilty in Kidnapping Hoax: REPORT

Carlee Russell, who captivated the nation earlier this year after claiming she had been kidnapped, has been found guilty of fabricating the story.

CBS 42 reports the ruling came down Wednesday (Oct. 11) in Hoover, Ala. Russell was found guilty of false reporting to law enforcement authorities and falsely reporting an incident, both of which are misdemeanors.

The nursing student was ordered to pay $831 for each charge and more than $17,000 in restitution, according to the outlet. The judge has recommended a one-year jail sentence.

Russell had pleaded not guilty, despite admitting to police she made up the story. Her lawyer reportedly said they will appeal the decision because “they’re trying to ask for jail time, which we totally disagree with.”

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In July, Russell returned home after being missing for two days.

According to Forbes, She claimed she was abducted while trying to help a toddler on the side of the road. She called 911 to report a diapered toddler wandering on the side of the highway. Traffic camera footage showed her pull over and exit her car. However, by the time authorities arrived, Russell was gone.

After a statewide search, she returned home on foot and alleged to police that she had been abducted by a couple in a truck who took her home and snapped photos of her as she undressed.

During their investigation, authorities started to question Russell’s story, and eventually she admitted through her lawyer that she “did not leave the Hoover area when she was identified as a missing person.”

The Hoover Police Department searched Russell’s computer, and found Google searches for the movie Taken from the day she went missing.

Russell also allegedly searched for the “maximum age” for an Amber alert, and how to steal money from a register without being caught.