California Mom Who Claimed She Was Kidnapped at Gunpoint by Two Hispanic Women Pleads Guilty to Faking Abduction

The California mom who made international headlines for faking her kidnapping has pleaded guilty to the hoax.

On Monday, Sherri Papini pleaded guilty to one count of lying to a federal officer and one count of mail fraud via a Zoom hearing. Her plea comes one week after sharing that she’d accepted a plea deal in the bizarre case.

Papini was at the center of a terrifying abduction case that kicked off on November 2nd, 2016. She claimed that she was out jogging in her Redding neighborhood when two masked Hispanic women approached her with weapons and kidnapped her. Her family and the community immediately organized searches to look for her. Twenty-two days after vanishing, Papini was located wandering in a parking lot on Thanksgiving. She had bruises and a “brand” on her right shoulder. Initially, the suburban wife stuck to her story. However, authorities soon discovered that she’d run away to be with her ex-boyfriend. Papini even inflicted her own injuries to keep the lie going.

It remains unclear how much time Papini will do in prison, but the crimes carry over 20 years in prison. Under her agreement, she will have to pay back more than $300,000 in restitution to various institutions.

Papini expressed regret, saying she is “deeply ashamed” of her actions.