26-year-old Alabama woman Carlee Russell pleaded guilty to false reporting charges for faking her own kidnapping in July 2021.

Alabama woman Carlee Russell pleaded guilty to false reporting charges after faking her own kidnapping in July 2021, causing a nationwide panic. The 26-year-old, who claimed she was abducted after stopping her car to check on a wandering toddler, received a suspended six-month sentence and was ordered to pay over $17,000 in restitution. She pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident.