Current:Home > Contact-usCarlee Russell ordered to pay almost $18,000 for hoax kidnapping, faces jail time-LoTradeCoin
Carlee Russell ordered to pay almost $18,000 for hoax kidnapping, faces jail time
View Date:2024-12-23 20:52:08
Alabama nursing student Carlethia "Carlee" Nichole Russell was found guilty of false kidnapping and ordered to pay about $18,000 in restitution and spend a year in jail, the Hoover County Court director confirmed to CBS News.
Russell's attorney appealed the decision and the case is still technically in the "investigative state," the spokesperson for the Alabama attorney general told CBS News.
Russell, 25 —who made national headlines on July 13 when she called 911 to report a toddler missing on a highway in Hoover, Alabama— pled not guilty on Wednesday. But Judge Brad Bishop found Russell guilty of filing a false police report and falsely reporting the incident, the Hoover County Court Director said.
She was ordered to pay $831—$500 fine and $331 court cost— for each misdemeanor charge, as well as over $17,000 in restitution. She also faces a year in jail, or six months jail time on each charge, the court director said.
When Hoover police officers arrived on the scene after her call within five minutes of being dispatched, Russell was missing. Authorities located her car, cell phone, wig and purse. Her Apple Watch was in the purse.
A search was launched after Russell was reported missing involving local, state and federal agencies. A large group of volunteers, organized by Russell's parents, also assisted in the search effort.
Russell returned home two days later, on July 15, telling law enforcement that she had been kidnapped and escaped. She said she was in a truck trailer with a man, who Russell said had orange hair, and was accompanied by a woman. She also said she could hear a baby crying.
Police were unable to verify her report, and a week later, Russell issued a statement saying the kidnapping was "a hoax" and apologized.
Russell's attorney said he would appeal the decision in circuit court. The judge agreed with the appeal, the court director said, and the case will now go to circuit court.
Cara TabachnickCara Tabachnick is a news editor for CBSNews.com. Contact her at [email protected]
veryGood! (87)
Related
- Golden Bachelorette: Joan Vassos Gets Engaged During Season Finale
- A Georgia trucker survived a wreck, but was killed crossing street to check on the other driver
- Washington police search for couple they say disappeared under suspicious circumstance
- Cutting a teaspoon of salt is comparable to taking blood pressure medication
- Dogecoin soars after Trump's Elon Musk announcement: What to know about the cryptocurrency
- House Ethics Committee report on George Santos finds substantial evidence of wrongdoing
- South Carolina deputy shot during chase by driver who was later wounded, sheriff says
- Story of a devastating wildfire that reads ‘like a thriller’ wins Baillie Gifford nonfiction prize
- MLS Star Marco Angulo Dead at 22 One Month After Car Crash
- Trial wraps up for French justice minister in unprecedented case, with verdict set for late November
Ranking
- Will Trump’s hush money conviction stand? A judge will rule on the president-elect’s immunity claim
- Career year? These seven college football assistant coaches are due for a big payday
- Details Revealed on Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's Baby Boy Rocky Thirteen
- U.N. Security Council approves resolution calling for urgent humanitarian pauses in Gaza and release of hostages
- Democrat Ruben Gallego wins Arizona US Senate race against Republican Kari Lake
- RSV is straining some hospitals, and US officials are releasing more shots for newborns
- Argentina’s Peronist machine is in high gear to shore up shaky votes before the presidential runoff
- Inspired by a 1990s tabloid story, 'May December' fictionalizes a real tragedy
Recommendation
-
College Football Playoff ranking release: Army, Georgia lead winners and losers
-
Kevin Costner, 'Yellowstone' star, partners with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters on new blend
-
'Pivotal milestone': Astronomers find clouds made of sand on distant planet
-
Adriana Lima Has the Ultimate Clapback to Critical Comments About Her Appearance
-
Dramatic video shows Phoenix police rescue, pull man from car submerged in pool: Watch
-
An eco trio, a surprising flautist and a very weird bird: It's the weekly news quiz
-
Atlanta to host 2025 MLB All-Star Game after losing 2021 game over objections to voting law
-
5 European nations and Canada seek to join genocide case against Myanmar at top UN court