Her disappearance alarmed her fiance and members of both families, who alerted Duluth police. The missing person report started a massive search by volunteers and several law enforcement agencies, including the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the FBI.

Wilbanks surfaced in Albuquerque, N.M., four days after she disappeared, the day she was to have wed Mason, the son of a former mayor of Duluth. She initially told police in both cities that she had been abducted. Wilbanks spun an elaborate story of being kidnapped by a Hispanic man and an Anglo woman and being sexually assaulted.

But within hours she admitted to the FBI that her story was fabricated.

In a statement issued after she returned to Georgia, Wilbanks said she had voluntarily entered a "highly regarded inpatient treatment program" to deal with the "physical and mental" problems that caused her to fake her abduction.

At Thursday's sentencing, Wilbanks' attorney, Lydia Sartain, said she had been looking forward to arguing some of the legal questions that arose from the indictment. But Wilbanks chose to enter a plea rather than go to trial, the lawyer said.

"It was Jennifer's decision to go forward," Sartain said. "She wishes to spare herself and Gwinnett citizens the expense of a trial."

Wilbanks and Mason arrived at court together, accompanied by family members and her attorney. Mason, who was dressed in a dark suit and tie, showed little emotion during the brief hearing.

The couple left separately.

As Wilbanks tried to get away from the swarm of photographers and reporters, she suddenly picked up the pace and broke into a slow jog to a waiting car.