Sherri Papini, a California mother accused of faking her own abduction, has agreed to a plea deal in her criminal case.
According to Papini’s defense counsel, William Portanova, Sherri entered a plea deal on Tuesday. She admitted to lying to a federal officer and mail fraud.
As first reported by The Sacramento Bee on Tuesday, Sherri Papini, 39, issued a statement through her attorney, William Portanova.
Sherri Papini was reported missing by her husband in November 2016. She went for a jog near her house in Shasta County, according to CNN. She was discovered alone on an interstate highway 140 miles from home three weeks later, on Thanksgiving Day.
Sherri Papini was arrested and charged with faking the entire incident
Sherri Papini was arrested and charged last month for allegedly fabricating the whole incident. With the FBI claiming she was staying with her ex-boyfriend at the time she said she was kidnapped.
Papini was charged with creating a false statement and mail fraud. The judge stated that if convicted, she may face a maximum term of 5 years and a fine of $250,000. She might face 20 years and a fine of $250,000, respectively.
Sherri Papini’s lawyer claims that they are pushing her case “in a completely different route”. And that “all that has happened up to this point has come to an end today”.
“I am very ashamed of myself for my behavior and so sorry for the anguish I’ve caused my family, friends, all the good people who needlessly suffered because of my narrative. And also those who worked so hard to try to help me,” Papini says in a statement sent through her legal team to TMZ
“I will work for the rest of my life to make atonement for what I have done,” she continues.
Despite the fact that Sherri Papini’s plea agreement has been delivered to prosecutors, they have yet to produce a sentencing document with their proposed punishment.