Sherri Papini, 39, a California mother whose apparent kidnapping and near-miraculous return became global news in 2016, was arrested Thursday on charges of making false statements to a federal law enforcement officer and engaging in mail fraud. According to the criminal complaint filed in the case, Papini was 34 when she went missing from Mountain Gate on Nov. 2, 2016. Extensive searches were conducted for her in Shasta County and California as well as in several other states. On Nov. 24, Thanksgiving Day, Papini reappeared along a rural road in Yolo County near Woodland, bruised and bound by restraints, according to the county sheriff’s office. Papini had various bindings on her body and injuries including a brand on her right shoulder, according to authorities. At the time, Papini told law enforcement officers and others that she had been abducted and held at gunpoint by two Hispanic women. She also provided details of the alleged abductors to an FBI sketch artist. Based on her account, law enforcement agencies were on the lookout for Hispanic women matching Papini’s description. The investigation eventually showed that her account was fabricated and that Papini, who was married, had voluntarily stayed with a former boyfriend in Costa Mesa, California, and had harmed herself to make her story convincing, authorities said. To read the rest of the story, click the link in our bio.