Carlee Russell has pled guilty and has received her sentence.
The 26-year-old pled guilty to two misdemeanor counts of filing a false police report, according to WBRC. Jefferson County Circuit Judge David Carpenter sentenced her to 12 months of supervised probation, 100 hours of community service, and $17,974.88 paid in restitution to the City of Hoover.
“What you did was you wasted a lot of Government resources,” Carpenter told Russell in the courtroom. “And you’re going to pay for that. You’re going to pay every dime of that in restitution in this case.”
She will also continue mental health counseling.
“It is a waste of resources to put you in jail, and it is a waste of resources to have a trial,” Carpenter said. “Although we are upset about what you’ve done, we’re not going to treat you differently than we would any other person charged with misdemeanors.”
This is Russell’s first criminal offense, and most defendants don’t serve jail time for misdemeanor crimes.
The attorney general’s office stated how much “disrespect” Russell showed law enforcement and the community through her false claims throughout the saga. As Clark Morris, the attorney general’s criminal division chief, pleaded her case to give Russell jail time, Russell became visibly upset and sniffed excessively as if holding back tears.
“I made a grave mistake while trying to fight through various emotional issues and stress,” Russell said in the courtroom as she read her statement. “I’m extremely remorseful for the panic, fear, and various range of negative emotions that were experienced across the nation. 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 those who were directly involved in the search efforts for me.”
