Birth mom charged in adoption fraud case locked up on new bond violation

A birth mother charged in a nationwide adoption fraud case has been locked up once again. Enhelica Wiggins appeared in U. S. District Court in Detroit Thursday to face a Federal Magistrate Judge, after she turned herself in Wednesday night. Wiggins is accused of violating her bond.

The 29-year-old from Saginaw had previously placed children through unlicensed Macomb County adoption worker Tara Lee.

Lee is charged with 23 counts of wire fraud, and 1 count of aggravated identity theft.

More >> Birth mom charged in adoption fraud case locked up on new bond violation

Judge keeps Macomb County mom in adoption fraud case locked up

A Macomb County mother at the center of a national adoption fraud case will stay behind bars until her trial. That’s the decision of a federal judge who said Tara Lee has shown a lack of respect for the law.

Tara Lee looked visibly nervous while in court Tuesday; her legs were shaking and at one point she seemed like she was near tears. Lee also tried to apologize to the Judge Bernard Friedman for her behavior, but he stopped her to keep her from possibly incriminating herself.

More >> Judge keeps Macomb County mom in adoption fraud case locked up

Former CCPD Officer accused of impersonating a CPS worker may have violated bond

The former Corpus Christi police officer who's accused of impersonating a Child Protective Services case worker may have violated her bond.

Norma Deleon appeared in the 117th District Court this morning for a pretrial and plea deadline hearing. Deleon is facing a charge of impersonating a public servant.

More >> Former CCPD Officer accused of impersonating a CPS worker may have violated bond

Huger couple accused of international adoption scheme to appear in Federal Court Thursday

Charleston, SC The couple accused of trying to smuggle a baby out of Japan is set to appear before a federal judge Thursday.

Stephanie Jean Locker and Gerald Vincent Locker, Jr. are set for arraignment  at 9:45 AM in Charleston Courtroom #5, U. S. Court House on Broad Street before Magistrate Judge Bristow Marchant.

More >> Huger couple accused of international adoption scheme to appear in Federal Court Thursday

Sarasota County deputies uncover statewide data breach led by DCF employee

A statewide identity theft crime ring has been shut down by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. The ringleader was an official at the Department of Children and Families.

Last month, Sarasota county deputies got a call about a fraudulent purchase at the Mall at UTC. It seemed like a rather routine case but they soon uncovered a statewide criminal enterprise with a DCF employee at the top.

More >> Sarasota County deputies uncover statewide data breach led by DCF employee

Woman who faked pregnancy in bizarre adoption case to serve 2 years in prison

Elizabeth Jones, a Virginia woman who faked being pregnant to dupe an Orange County couple in 2018, pleaded guilty to eight felony counts Wednesday and will serve two years in state prison.

Jones’ trial ended abruptly when she decided to plead guilty during the jury selection procedure.

More >> Woman who faked pregnancy in bizarre adoption case to serve 2 years in prison

Former Texas probation officer charged in adoption effort

Authorities say a North Texas probation officer fabricated records and sought to revoke the probation of a pregnant woman whose child the officer wanted to adopt.

An investigation by Texas Rangers determined 38-year-old Lakisha Nicole McKnight sought to benefit from revoking the woman’s probation and denying her parental rights upon the birth of the child.

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Former Texas Probation Officer Charged After Fabricating Records To Adopt Child

Authorities say a North Texas probation officer fabricated records and sought to revoke the probation of a pregnant woman whose child the officer wanted to adopt.

An investigation by Texas Rangers determined 38-year-old Lakisha Nicole McKnight sought to benefit from revoking the woman’s probation and denying her parental rights upon the birth of the child.

More >> Former Texas Probation Officer Charged After Fabricating Records To Adopt Child

Former head of foster care agency sent to federal prison for nearly 3 years for embezzling more than $1 million

A judge Friday sentenced a Portland woman to two years and nine months in federal prison for stealing more than $1 million from an Oregon foster agency that she had led as president and executive director.

Mary Ayala, 59, who ran the private foster care agency Give Us This Day from 2008 through 2015, was found guilty of multiple counts of theft, money laundering and filing false personal income tax returns after an eight-day trial in February.

More >> Former head of foster care agency sent to federal prison for nearly 3 years for embezzling more than $1 million

Adoption scammers: A new breed of wolf

“She is 18 years old and she’s scared. She’s getting on a plane today at 1pm on her way to Washington DC to have an abortion…unless she can find a willing family to adopt her baby. If someone will take it, she will have it.”

This is the scenario that a pregnancy center presented to my wife and me on the phone one Wednesday afternoon while we were sitting in a hospital parking lot, unsure if we were possibly pregnant and experiencing a miscarriage. Our hearts were drawn in the midst of our frustration and uncertainty. Of course we would take the child… we wanted this baby to live.

More >> Adoption scammers: A new breed of wolf

How fake child adoption syndicate steals babies from desperate mums

The distraught mother was kept waiting in a room for seven hours last Saturday, her stomach in knots as she waited to be reunited with her son.

But those seven hours were nothing to her, because the last time she had seen her son was almost five years ago.

More >> How fake child adoption syndicate steals babies from desperate mums

Feds: Mom charged in adoption fraud scheme made $1.6 million

In new court records just filed, federal prosecutors reveal Tara Lynn Lee took in more than $1.6 million dollars in 2017 and 2018. The 7 Investigators first showed you how the unlicensed adoption worker was under investigation, accused of promising the same baby to more than one couple. FBI agents say the 37-year-old mother from New Haven also “matched” couples across the country to birth moms and babies who did not exist. The feds say Lee would charge prospective adoptive couples between $10,000 and $33,000 once they “matched” with a birth mom.

The new court records give us a look at just how much money prosecutors say Lee took in: “Review of Defendant’s bank statements show that she received business-related gross proceeds of over $600,000 in 2017, and over $1,070,000 in 2018.”

More >> Feds: Mom charged in adoption fraud scheme made $1.6 million

Woman who faked pregnancy, promised adoption indicted on nine felony counts

Faking a pregnancy doesn’t appear to be against the law.

But using a false pretense to convince a potential adoptive family to buy baby clothes, photographs and meals – those incidents could land a Virginia woman in jail.

More >> Woman who faked pregnancy, promised adoption indicted on nine felony counts

Family sobs as Macomb County mom's bond revoked in adoption scheme

With her family members sobbing in the courtroom, a Macomb County mother at the center of a nationwide adoption investigation has lost her freedom for violating multiple bond conditions: She tampered with witnesses, contacted victims, used a cellphone and tried to broker adoptions.

She had promised not to do these things, the judge reminded her in court. But she did them anyway — and even texted and FaceTimed her victims on the same day she signed her bond papers, prosecutors said.

More >> Family sobs as Macomb County mom's bond revoked in adoption scheme

Michigan woman charged with defrauding couples in adoptions

A Macomb County woman has been indicted on fraud charges for an alleged scheme to collect money from couples who wanted to adopt children.

Federal prosecutors say Tara Lee of New Haven isn't licensed to arrange adoptions but told people that she had a legitimate agency. The indictment accuses her of collecting more than $200,000 last year for adoption matches that were fraudulent.

More >> Michigan woman charged with defrauding couples in adoptions

Special prosecutor recommends five years in prison for woman who faked pregnancy, planned adoption

She may have gotten away with being cruel, if she hadn’t been on probation at the time.

Elizabeth Jones, the woman who faked being pregnant to deceive an Orange County couple trying to adopt, should receive five years in prison, according to a motion filed by the special prosecutor in charge of investigating the case in Virginia.

More >> Special prosecutor recommends five years in prison for woman who faked pregnancy, planned adoption

FBI busts woman who ran fake adoption services for YEARS and scammed desperate prospective parents out of tens of thousands of dollars

A Michigan woman is charged with wire fraud following an investigation into claims that she conned hopeful adoptive parents out of tens of thousands of dollars in fees, but never produced any babies for them.

Tara Lynn Lee, 37, of New Haven, Michigan, was arraigned in federal court Friday on wire fraud charges after turning herself over to the FBI.

More >> FBI busts woman who ran fake adoption services for YEARS and scammed desperate prospective parents out of tens of thousands of dollars

U.S. couple’s adoption dreams crushed after birth mom fakes pregnancy

In December 2018, California-based couple Matt and Laura Trayte posted a heartbreaking story on Facebook, claiming the woman who agreed to be the birth mother during their adoption journey faked her pregnancy.

“We’ve been trying to complete our family for the past 10 years,” Laura Trayte told Global News. “Family is everything to us and in our minds there is nothing more worth fighting for… and fight we have.”

More >> U.S. couple’s adoption dreams crushed after birth mom fakes pregnancy

Fake CPS worker tried tricking cops into helping her kidnap an infant, Nevada police say

It’s not uncommon for Child Protective Services workers to ask police for help removing a child from a home, according to a Las Vegas police spokeswoman.

But during an incident on Monday, a self-proclaimed social worker who called police for backup was a fraud — and officers realized it in time, police said.

More >> Fake CPS worker tried tricking cops into helping her kidnap an infant, Nevada police say

Police: Woman accused of posing as CPS worker in attempt to kidnap 3-week-old baby

Las Vegas police are investigating the attempted kidnapping of a 3-week-old baby by a woman who posed as a Child Protective Services worker.

On Monday around 12:30 p.m., a woman named Joanna Boyd, 39, called police, claiming to be a CPS worker and requesting officers assist with the emergency pickup of a baby. Officers responded to the location in the 4300 block of North Las Vegas Boulevard, near Craig Road.

More >> Police: Woman accused of posing as CPS worker in attempt to kidnap 3-week-old baby