California woman gets 18 months for kidnapping hoax in 2016

By DON THOMPSON
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A Northern California woman has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for faking her own kidnapping so she could go back to a former boyfriend, which led to an three-week, multi-state search. Forty-year-old Sherri Papini pleaded guilty last spring under a plea bargain. U.S. District Judge William Shubb said he opted for a longer sentence than prosecutors recommended in order to deter others. Passersby found her with injuries including a blurred “brand” on her right shoulder. All of her injuries were self-inflicted. The married mother of two was actually staying with a former boyfriend in Southern California. He dropped her off about three weeks after she disappeared.