(CNN)A California woman’s kidnapping lawsuit that federal prosecutors say is false has cost the public hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to agency testimony and court documents.
Sherri Papini, who is due to appear in court on Tuesday, disappeared in November 2016 and launched a massive search, only for the Northern California mother-of-two to emerge three weeks later and tell investigators she had been kidnapped, beaten and branded.
The Justice Department says Papini made the whole thing up. She was arrested last Thursday and charged with providing false information to a police officer and mail fraud, the department said in a press release.
Papini’s alleged fraudulent disappearance was not without repercussions for others: It cost over $230,000 and “countless hours” of labor, according to officials.
“Ultimately, the investigation concluded that there was no kidnapping,” U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert said in the Justice Department’s press release, “and that time and resources could have been used to investigate actual crimes, protect the community, and resources.” victims were wasted due to the defendant’s conduct.”
CNN has reached out to Michael Borges, a lawyer for Papini, for comment on multiple occasions.
Borges’ client is scheduled to appear in custody for a hearing on Tuesday to determine her custody status. Papini remained in custody on Monday.
Sheriff: The investigation drew resources from real cases
Papini’s husband reported her missing on November 2, 2016 after failing to pick up their children from daycare. She was found alone on Interstate 5 about 140 miles from home three weeks later. She told police she was kidnapped by two women who wore masks and spoke Spanish. They held her at gunpoint, she said, tied her up in a closet and branded her.
But last week the Justice Department said Papini was actually dating an ex-boyfriend in Southern California and caused her own injuries to support her kidnapping lawsuit.
Overall, the cost of the investigation, borne by public safety agencies, was about $150,000 — a conservative estimate, Shasta County Sheriff Michael Johnson said in a statement on Facebook last week.
But the cost isn’t just measured in dollars, Johnson said. Papini’s case and story diverted resources from real cases with real victims.
“Not only did this charade take valuable resources away from real criminal investigation matters,” the sheriff said, “but at a time when there are serious human trafficking cases involving legitimate victims, Sherri Papini took advantage of this tragic societal phenomenon for notoriety and financial gain.” to get. ”
“Eventually,” he added, “all law enforcement agencies in Shasta (county) were placed on a national stage and subjected to scrutiny and criticism for the handling of this case.”
Papini’s case also cost publicity in other ways.
According to an affidavit supporting the criminal complaint, Papini received $30,000 between 2017 and 2021 from the California Victim Compensation Board, which assists victims of violent crime and compensates them for “crime-related costs” they incur.
In Papini’s case, the affidavit said, $1,000 was used to allow Papini to purchase blinds for her home and nearly $2,000 was paid to the ambulance that transported Papini after she was found. The rest of the money was payments for Papini’s therapy and treatment for anxiety and post-traumatic stress stemming from her alleged kidnapping.
Then there was the GoFundMe campaign, which reportedly raised just over $49,000.
The affidavit told donors that the funds would be used to “find Sherri and bring her home.” In fact, according to federal prosecutors, more than $30,000 was withdrawn from the campaign bank account by a family member and more than $11,000 was used to pay off the family’s personal credit cards.
The remaining amount was “spent on personal expenses,” the affidavit said.
A GoFundMe spokesperson told CNN that the fundraiser has been removed from the platform and has not been actively receiving donations since 2016. “We are working with law enforcement to assist with their ongoing investigations,” the spokesman said.
Regarding the GoFundMe campaign, family spokesman Chris Thomas referred questions to Borges, Papini’s attorney.
Last week, Thomas criticized Papini’s arrest, which the spokeswoman said happened in front of her children.
“If asked, Sherri would have fully complied and come to the police station,” he said, “as she has done several times before where this could have been handled more appropriately.”
Papini and her husband were “cooperating” with law enforcement, Thomas said, adding, “We are puzzled by several aspects of the charges and hope to have clarification in the coming days.”
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