The 26-year-old is now charged with giving false information to authorities and falsely reporting an incident, both misdemeanors.
After turning himself in, he was released on bail, Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said at a news conference.
Russell’s story made headlines and grabbed the nation’s attention. But it turned out that she did not see a small child on the side of a road, that she was not abducted either, that she never left the Hoover area and that she acted alone, Emory Anthony, Russell’s attorney, said in a statement Monday.
The two charges the woman faces carry a maximum sentence of up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $6,000, Derzis said.
“I know many are shocked and dismayed that Ms. Russell is only being charged with two misdemeanors, despite all the panic and disruption her actions caused,” he said.
“I assure you that I also share the same frustration,” he continued. “But the existing laws only allow these charges to be filed,” he explained.
The investigation will be led by the office of Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall.
“We’re not looking at this as a victimless crime,” Marshall said at Friday’s news conference. “There were significant hours spent, wasted resources as a result of this investigation.” He also cited the “many men and women who are civilians” who helped search for her.
Derzis said no charges have been filed against Russell’s family or anyone else. Additional charges may be filed while the attorney general’s office works on its investigation, he added.
In the statement issued by her lawyer earlier in the week, Russell apologized to the community for her actions, but did not detail where she was during the 49 hours she was missing.
