California woman admits she faked 2016 kidnapping

By DON THOMPSON
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A Northern California woman is admitting that she faked her own kidnapping more than five years ago. The search for 39-year-old Sherri Papini of Redding set off a three-week search until she resurfaced on Thanksgiving Day in 2016. But federal prosecutors alleged in early March that she actually was staying with a former boyfriend nearly 600 miles away in Southern California. They said she injured herself to back up her false statements. Her attorney, William Portanova, confirmed that she signed a plea agreement Tuesday. A spokesperson for federal prosecutors couldn’t confirm the plea deal until something is on the public record.