"Alabama Woman Carlee Russell Avoids Jail Time for Faking Own Kidnapping, Ordered to Pay Restitution"

Carlee Russell, the Alabama woman who faked her own kidnapping, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of filing a false police report and was sentenced to 12 months of supervised probation, 100 hours of community service, and restitution to the City of Hoover. The judge criticized her actions, and the Alabama Attorney General expressed concern about the impact of her hoax on public response to future emergencies. Russell apologized in court, acknowledging her mistake and the negative impact on others. She will have a review hearing in October to check on the restitution and community service completion.