Source: Carlee Russell / Facebook
Carlee Russell and her harebrained scheme for attention took over the internet news cycle for weeks and finally, we have a resolution. Now, it’s time for y’all to argue about that.
According to NPR, the former nursing student finally came clean and admitted in court that she made up the entire “kidnapping” story. She wasn’t taken and no small child was wandering around the highway alone. It was all bulls#!t and now it’s time for her to face the consequences of her actions.
That’s where the arguing begins.
After she pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of filing a false police report, Carlee was sentenced to 12 months of probation along with community service, an $18,000 fine, and continued proof that she is receiving professional mental health counseling. During the scandal’s heyday, many wanted Carlee put in prison for not only her actions but also to dissuade others from the culture of viral attention-seeking with reports of false crimes. Judge David Carpenter called it a “waste of government resources” to put Carlee in prison.
“One of the most expensive things the government does is incarcerate people … we need to reserve our jail for people who are genuinely a threat to the community,” he said. “Although we are very upset about what you’ve done, you’re not a threat to the community.”
For her part, Carlee kept it a bean in court as she apologized for the harrowing hoax.
“I made a grave mistake while trying to fight through various emotional issues and stress,” Russell said, while addressing the judge. “I’m extremely remorseful for the panic, fear and various range of negative emotions that were experienced across the nation.”
What say you about the judge’s decision to suspend jail time for Carlee? Hit the comment section and sound off.
