The Hoover Police Department is announcing criminal charges have been filed against Carlee Russell related to the investigation that has been underway since July 13th, 2023, the night that Ms. Russell went missing from the side of I-459. Investigators met with the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office in Bessemer and presented all of the known facts to them. After consulting with the Court Clerk, the case was referred back to the Hoover Municipal Court for charging. The following warrants were issued:
Carlethia Nichole Russell 25-years-old Hoover, AL
• False Reporting to Law Enforcement Authorities $1,000 Bond
• Falsely Reporting an Incident $1,000 Bond
$2,000.00 Total Bond
Ms. Russell turned herself in to the Hoover City Jail on these charges earlier today and has since been released on bond. The charges are both Class A misdemeanors under Alabama law, and the text of these code sections is below:
Section 13A-10-9
False reporting to law enforcement authorities.
(a) A person commits the crime of false reporting to law enforcement authorities if he knowingly makes a false report or causes the transmission of a false report to law enforcement authorities of a crime or relating to a crime.
(b) False reporting to law enforcement authorities is a Class A misdemeanor.
(Acts 1977, No. 607, p. 812, §4540; Acts 1979, No. 79-471, p. 862, §1.)
Section 13A-11-11
Falsely reporting an incident.
(a) A person commits the crime of falsely reporting an incident if with knowledge that the information reported, conveyed, or circulated is false, he or she initiates or circulates a false report or warning of an alleged occurrence or impending occurrence of a fire, bomb, explosion, crime, catastrophe, or emergency or the alleged release or impending release of a hazardous or dangerous substance, including, but not limited to, chemical, biological, or bacteriological substance or any nerve agent under circumstances in which it is likely to cause evacuation of a building, place of assembly, or transportation facility, or to cause public inconvenience or alarm.
(b) Falsely reporting an incident is a Class A misdemeanor except that falsely reporting an incident of a bomb or explosion or the alleged release or impending release of a hazardous or dangerous substance is a Class C felony. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, if the objective or target of the person listed in subsection (a) is to interfere with the attendance, operation, activities, or other business conducted at a public or private school, university, college, or other educational institution in this state, no part of a sentence imposed pursuant to subsection (a) or this subsection shall be probated, deferred, suspended, or withheld, and no person sentenced pursuant to subsection (a) or this subsection shall be eligible for early release, leave, work release, earned time, good time, or any other program administered by an agency of the executive or judicial branches of this state which would have the effect of reducing or mitigating the sentence until the defendant has completed the minimum sentence pursuant to subsection (a) or this subsection.
(Acts 1977, No. 607, p. 812, §5550; Act 2000-113, p. 166, §1; Act 2009-718, §21.)
Lieutenant Daniel Lowe
Public Information Officer
205-739-6762 – Office
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