Sherri Papini turns herself in for 18-month prison sentence
SACRAMENTO – The Redding mom who faked her own kidnapping six years ago turned herself in for her prison sentence on Tuesday.
Sherri Papini, 40, told federal agents back in 2016 that she was kidnapped at gunpoint by two Hispanic women when she was actually with an ex-boyfriend in Southern California.
Last spring, Papini pleaded guilty under a plea bargain that requires her to pay more than $300,000 in restitution.
Probation officers and Papini's attorney had recommended she spend a month in custody and seven months in supervised home detention. However, a judge opted for an 18-month prison sentence.
The judge, Senior U.S. District Judge William Shubb, said he considered the seriousness of the offense and "the sheer number of people who were impacted."
Papini's plea deal also stipulates that she has to reimburse law enforcement agencies more than $150,000 for the costs of the search for her and her nonexistent kidnappers. She'll also have to repay the $128,000 she received in disability payments.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Papini has been designated to the Federal Correctional Institution Victorville.
