"Alabama Woman Carlee Russell Avoids Jail Time with Guilty Plea in Faked Abduction Case"

Carlee Russell, who faked her own abduction, pleaded guilty to 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. She will also continue mental health counseling. The judge emphasized that while the community was outraged, it was a waste of resources to put her in jail. The lack of criminal penalty for this prompted the Hoover police chief to petition lawmakers to increase the punishment for filing a false report.