Attorney explains why Carlee Russell could potentially face multiple charges

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC/Gray News) – Carlee Russell, the woman who admitted to fabricating a story of being abducted and held in captivity for two days, could potentially face several charges for her actions, according to Birmingham attorney Eric Guster.

Guster said Hoover police accuse Russell of stealing a bathrobe and toilet paper from her job leading up to the night of the staged kidnapping.

Additionally, Guster pointed out that she could be charged with obstruction of justice for providing false statements to investigating officers.

“When you make a false statement to an officer, each one of those statements can be its own count,” Guster said, explaining that each false statement could lead to separate charges.

The attorney said the 911 call Russell made to report a baby alone on the side of the road is classified as a false police report, which could also be a charge against her.

While there may be other charges, Guster acknowledges the difficulty in determining them without access to all the evidence collected by the police. However, he asserts that jail time and fines are likely consequences.

Not representing the Russell family, Guster mentioned that if he were their attorney, he would have advised Russell to come clean much sooner to potentially lessen the severity of the consequences.

He highlighted the significant cost incurred by state and federal resources during the investigation, including manpower and overtime pay.

“Hoover is going to send them a bill,” he said.

Despite Russell claiming she acted alone, Guster said he believed that someone helped her, and he anticipates those details will come to light during the legal proceedings.

He also suggests that Russell’s parents could face charges if they aided in the lie or in her lying to the police, though lying on TV is not a crime, fortunately for them, he said.

As the case progresses, Guster said he expects more information to emerge, shedding light on the truth behind Russell’s actions and the possible involvement of others.

For now, the focus remains on the potential legal ramifications she could face for fabricating her kidnapping story.

Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said they were still not clear on where Russell was during her 49-hour disappearance nor what motivated her scheme.

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