Carlee Russell Officially Charged After Confessing to Kidnapping Hoax
Carlee Russell, the 26-year-old Alabama woman who confessed this week to faking her own kidnapping, has officially been hit with criminal charges, police announced on Friday, July 28.
Hoover Police Chief Nicholas C. Derzis delivered the news in a press conference, confirming that Russell has been charged with two misdemeanors as a result of the kidnapping stunt: false reporting to law enforcement authorities and falsely reporting an incident.
According to NBC News, an arrest warrant was issued earlier on Friday, prompting Russell to surrender to authorities at the Hoover City Jail, where she was accompanied by her attorney.
Russell was released from jail after posting bond, which was set at $1,000 for each charge. If convicted, Russell could face up to a year in jail and a $6,000 fine, according to the police chief.
"Her decisions that night created panic and alarm for the citizens of our city and even across the nation as concern grew that a kidnapper was on the loose using a small child as bait," Derzis said, per the outlet. "The story opened wounds for families whose loved ones really were victims of kidnappings, some of which even helped organize searches."
The news likely doesn't come as much of a surprise, as Russell's attorney, Emory Anthony, already said earlier this week that he was speaking with the authorities about next steps.
As Parade previously reported, Anthony said on Tuesday that Russell was "doing better," while noting that his client is "still dealing with some things."
"There’s responsibilities that we need to take care of," he added at the time.
Prior to this update, Anthony released a statement to the Hoover Police that confirmed Russell had faked the kidnapping.
"There was no kidnapping on Thursday, July 13, 2023," the lawyer wrote in a statement read during a July 24 press conference. "My client did not see a baby on the side of the road. My client did not leave the Hoover area when she was identified as a missing person."
Per the legal note, Russell maintains she didn't have "any help" during the incident.
"This was a single act done by herself," the statement continued. "My client was not with anyone or any hotel with anyone from the time she was missing. My client apologizes for her actions to this community, the volunteers who were searching for her, to the Hoover Police department and other agencies as well, [and] to her friends and family."
As the message concluded, the lawyer's update asked for prayers for his client, "as she addresses her issues and attempts to move forward, understanding that she made a mistake in this matter."
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