Under a plea deal in which she admits to faking her own kidnapping, Sherri Papini will have to pay more than $300,000 in restitution to various government agencies, including nearly $149,000 to the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office.
Redding’s wife, 39, will have to repay a total of $309,686 to the California Victims Compensation Board, the US Social Security Administration, the Sheriff’s Office and the FBI.
In November 2016, her husband, Keith Papini, reported her missing, sparking a nationwide search for her.
There were community rallies, numerous press conferences, television broadcasts, family statements, awards offered and an investigation to track down leads that stretched across the country.
But 22 days after she was reported abducted while jogging along a dirt road north of Redding, she was found wandering along a remote section of Interstate 5 north of Sacramento, tied with chains.
She told investigators she was kidnapped at gunpoint by two Hispanic women who blindfolded her and held her captive, cut her hair and branded her.
It turns out, however, that she made it all up, according to court documents.
As law enforcement, Papini’s husband and the rest of her family searched for her, she was locked up with an ex-boyfriend in Orange County, according to an affidavit filed in federal court.
She was arrested and charged in March with fraud and lying to the FBI. On Tuesday, she signed an agreement to plead guilty to both counts. Through her attorney, she also issued an apology, expressing her “shame” for her actions.
This plea agreement also provided for the payment of compensation to several agencies.
Read the plea agreement:
Shasta County Sheriff Michael Johnson said Wednesday that the amount of restitution provided for in the plea deal likely doesn’t fully compensate for the work his office has done to investigate his “kidnapping.”
“I think that’s probably very kind, in the fact that we probably didn’t start as soon as we should have tracked our resources,” Johnson said, referring to the $148,866 in restitution she agreed to pay. pay at the sheriff’s office.
“But if we saw that return and restitution to that agency, that would be great. It would be pretty phenomenal for us to get that much back,” Johnson said.
Plea Agreement:Sherri Papini agrees to plead guilty in fake kidnapping case
He added, however, that he was somewhat skeptical that Papini would refund the full amount.
“And other than the monetary value, you know, there’s no reimbursement to the community for the damage that they’ve done there with trust issues and fear issues and everything that we’ve been through. with that,” Johnson said.
In addition to payments from the sheriff’s office, she will also have to repay $127,567 to receive Social Security disability benefits.
She will also owe the FBI $2,558 and the California Victims Compensation Board (CalVCB) at least $30,694, according to the plea agreement.
The indictment filed against her in federal court in Sacramento says that in the 11 months before her disappearance, Papini had devised a plan to obtain funds under false and fraudulent pretenses.
Analysis:What experts say about Sherri Papini’s ‘bizarre’ case and its five-year investigation
“The purpose of the program was to obtain funds directly and indirectly from the CalVCB intended to financially assist California victims of violent crime, including funds to pay for PAPINI’s ambulance costs, therapist costs, and improvements to the facility. ‘habitat,’ the indictment reads.
The $49,000 his family raised through a GoFundMe account was not included in the plea deal repayment plan.
Papini’s attorney, William Portanova of Sacramento, said the reasoning behind the kidnapping hoax is more complicated than the indictment claims.
Portanova told The Associated Press he doesn’t know why his client did what she did.
“Honestly, I don’t know if anyone does. I don’t know if she knows,” he said.
“In my view, this is a very complicated mental health situation, but one that needs to be confronted and dealt with — and that includes admission, acceptance and punishment,” Portanova said. He said the treatment was not required as part of the plea deal, but “counseling is part of his daily life and will continue to be”.
Papini’s GoFundMe page raised some $49,000 for the Redding wife in 2016.
A GoFundMe spokeswoman said the Papini fundraiser has been removed from the online platform and “has not been actively receiving donations since 2016. We are working with law enforcement to assist with their ongoing investigation. “.
The manager also provided a link to the company’s website which reads: “In the very rare event that something goes wrong with a fundraiser, donors may be eligible for a 100% refund of their donation. .”
In addition to restitution, Papini could be required to pay fines, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Related:Sherri Papini’s family release statement following her arrest and accuse her of faking kidnapping
The mother-of-two faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for making false statements to a federal law enforcement officer. She faces a maximum legal sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for mail fraud, federal officials said.
The actual sentence, however, will be determined by a federal judge. The court has not yet set a date for Papini to plead guilty.
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Damon Arthur is Record Searchlight’s resources and environment reporter. He is part of a team of reporters who investigate wrongdoing and find the unknown voices to tell the stories of the North State. He welcomes story boards at 530-338-8834 by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!