Runaway bride to pay $13,000

DULUTH, Ga. — Runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks will pay the city of Duluth more than $13,000 for overtime and out-of-pocket expenses incurred during the search for her, according to an agreement signed by her attorney.

The agreement released Tuesday includes a "covenant not to sue" that releases Wilbanks from any claims the city may have against her.

Wilbanks disappeared during an evening jog April 26. She surfaced in Albuquerque, N.M., four days later — the day she was to have wed John Mason — and told police she had been kidnapped.

Gwinnett County grand jury indicted Wilbanks last week on a felony count of making false statements and one misdemeanor count of falsely reporting a crime. The felony charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The misdemeanor could bring up to a 12-month sentence and a $1,000 fine.

The agreement states that the search for Wilbanks resulted in 1,600 hours of employee time, including 400 hours of overtime for police officers and other personnel to coordinate the search. She agreed to pay $13,249.09. "Ms. Wilbanks denies any legal liability for said costs but deeply regrets her actions and the trouble and expense incurred by the city in coordinating and conducting the search," the statement reads.