California woman captured headlines in 2016 with a sensational kidnapping tale. She lied.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

Sherri Papini, 39, a California mother whose apparent kidnapping and near-miraculous return became global news in 2016, was arrested Thursday on charges of making false statements to a federal law enforcement officer and engaging in mail fraud.

According to the criminal complaint filed in the case, Papini was 34 when she went missing from Mountain Gate on Nov. 2, 2016. Extensive searches were conducted for her in Shasta County and California as well as in several other states.

On Nov. 24, Thanksgiving Day, Papini reappeared along a rural road in Yolo County near Woodland, bruised and bound by restraints, according to the county sheriff’s office. Papini had various bindings on her body and injuries including a brand on her right shoulder, according to authorities.

At the time, Papini told law enforcement officers and others that she had been abducted and held at gunpoint by two Hispanic women. She also provided details of the alleged abductors to an FBI sketch artist. Based on her account, law enforcement agencies were on the lookout for Hispanic women matching Papini’s description.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/03/03/sherri-papini-arrest/9368233002/

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Hope they throw the book at her

Sure would be nice to know her motivations because there were multiple possibilities, and how they caught her and what inconsistencies dribbled out. $250k fine! Jail time! Twisted sister, drama queen.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

3. 👍🏻

[jcgoldie]

5. no idea but

Reading between the lines that she was staying with a former boyfriend my guess is she had an extra-marital fling then when she was over it needed a cover story for the husband and chose something completely fantastic and stupid.

[70sEraVet]

2. It should be classified as a Hate Crime, when someone implicates a minority

in a crime that they made up.
It feeds distrust, and may even result in attacks against members of that community.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

4. 👍🏻

[Siwsan]

6. Quinn Gray was another case of faked kidnapping. 2009 in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

I saw this story on 'Dateline'. She put her family through total hell. Although I suspect there were some mental health issues going on with this woman, I believe the penalties for this kind of deception should be strong.

https://2paragraphs.com/2017/02/dateline-fake-kidnapped-quinn-gray-receives-10kmonth-from-husband/

[Floyd R. Turbo]

7. 👍🏻

[Baitball Blogger]

8. She blamed it on two Hispanic women..

Were any Hispanic women harmed because of her lie?

[Shermann]

9. Soooo the plan was just to fleece the $30K in benefits?

Very odd.

[intheflow]

10. No, the plan was to have an extended fling with her ex.

The $30k was probably just an unexpected bonus she learned about at the time of her "rescue."

[Shermann]

11. Ah, so she did something illegal to cover up a perfectly legal activity

That makes a lot more sense.