Carlee Russell faces legal consequences.
As reported on NBC, the 25-year-old Alabama nursing student is charged with two misdemeanors for her kidnapping hoax. The charges are for false reporting to law enforcement authorities and falsely reporting an incident.
Carlee surrendered to authorities and she was accompanied by her attorney. She was released after posting bail.
Earlier this week, Carlee’s lawyer, Emory Anthony, spoke on her behalf, where she admitted she never saw a missing baby and was never kidnapped for 49 hours.
Hoover Police Chief Nicholas C. Derzis said in a news conference, “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 also said:
“The charges carried a bond of $1,000 each and are punishable by up to a year in jail and a $6,000 fine if convicted.” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall plans to “fully prosecute this case,” meaning there’s a possibility she could face more charges through further investigation.
Carlee’s attorney said his client realizes this is a serious matter. In addition, Emory said, “All we can do now is wait for the court date and see how we go from there.”
Last week, Carlee appeared to have gone missing for 49 hours after reporting she saw a baby on the side of the highway in Birmingham, Alabama. She returned to her parent’s house after two days, but after an investigation, police noticed red flags in her story.
In the midst of the drama, Carlee was let go from her job, and her now ex-boyfriend is seemingly disappointed in her. Carlee vowed to get mental help, so hopefully she gets some peace of mind.