Carlee Russell Found Guilty in Kidnapping Hoax Case, May Face 1 Year in Jail and $18K Restitution

The nursing student, who admitted to faking her kidnapping, was found guilty on Wednesday of two separate misdemeanors

Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell, the woman who went missing after claiming she was kidnapped, has been found guilty.

On July 28, Carlee Russell was charged with two misdemeanors — false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident  — after orchestrating a kidnapping hoax.

The 25-year-old nursing student appeared at the Hoover, Ala. Municipal Court on Wednesday afternoon, after pleading not guilty. During her court appearance, Judge Thomas Brad Bishop found Russell guilty of both misdemeanor charges, NBC 15 reported.

Under Alabama law, Russell could face one year in prison, six months for each charge, plus a fine of $831, as well as restitution in the estimated amount of $17,974.88, reported WBRC.

Following the Wednesday ruling, Russell’s legal team, led by attorney Emory Anthony, said he would appeal the case to the circuit court, where it would be heard anew by a jury.

Related: Inside the Carlee Russell Case: What Happened to Woman Who Vanished After Calling 911 to Report Child Missing?

On July 13, Russell reported to 911 that she had seen a toddler walking along the side of Interstate 459. After the police responded to the emergency call, they found Russell’s car on the side of the I-459 with her abandoned phone.

As a result, the department began a statewide search for the presumed missing person, and offered a $60,000 reward for her return, according to AL.com.

Forty-nine hours later, Russell returned late in the evening on July 15 to her parents’ home in Alabama. The Russell family then called the police after her reappearance, and the authorities then arrived at the home shortly after.

In the days following her reappearance, Russell's family made several statements on social media and gave a number of interviews backing up the 25-year-old’s claim she had been kidnapped. However, when asked for additional details, Russell’s family couldn’t explain further due to the ongoing investigation.

During the investigation, Derzis said authorities were “unable to verify” Russell's claims and shared that Russell was engaging in "strange" behavior ahead of her disappearance, including unusual internet activity.

Related: Carlee Russell's Boyfriend Asks People to 'Stop Bullying Her' amid Abduction Claims

Her internet searches included questions about whether or not you "have to pay for an Amber Alert," what the maximum age for an Amber Alert is, the phrase "how to take money from a register without being caught," as well as searches for the movie Taken and sales for a one-way bus ticket from Birmingham, Ala. to Nashville, Tenn., scheduled for the night she vanished.

The following week on July 24, Russell released a statement with her attorney admitting that she had staged the kidnapping. Hoover Chief of Police Nick Derzis shared the admission on behalf of Russell's attorney during a press conference.

"There was no kidnapping on Thursday, July 13. 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. My client did not have any help in this incident, that this was a single act done by herself,” wrote Anthony.

“My client was not with anyone or [at] any hotel with anyone from the time she was missing,” continued Anthony. “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 as to her friends and family.”

On Friday, July 28, Russell turned herself in to the police and was then bonded out. She was then charged with the two misdemeanors.

Related: Carlee Russell 'Disrespected' Parents of Lost Children by Faking Abduction, Says Mom of Murder Victim

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As a result of the admission to orchestrating the disappearance, Derzis shared his frustration that Russell was charged with misdemeanors and not felonies. "I share the frustration, but existing laws only allow the 2 charges that were filed to be filed," he said. “Her decisions that night created panic and alarm for the citizens of our city and even across the nation.”

Derzis added, "The story opened wounds for families of loved ones who were really victims of kidnapping, some of which even helped organize searches in hopes of finding Carlee alive, so their family wouldn’t feel the pain and suffering they felt when their loved ones never returned home."

The Hoover Municipal Court and Attorney Emory Anthony did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's requests for comment.

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