Domestic Adoption Fraud in Oklahoma UPDATED

Devanna Deamber Dotson aka Amber Bradley aka Brandi Marie Smith aka Amanda Welch has been indicted “in a 23-count federal indictment that accuses her of bilking adoption agencies and families out of money after falsely claiming to be pregnant and seeking a home for the baby.

The indictment handed up Wednesday [November 7, 2012] alleges Devanna Deamber Dotson of Muskogee accepted more than $3,000 in 22 wired transactions and one mailed check from people in six different states.”

“Prosecutors say she received payments ranging from as much as $442 to as little as $10. The money came from people or agencies in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.

It was unclear whether she has a lawyer.”

http://www.news9.com/story/20036341/muskogee-woman-indicted-for-fraud-over-adoption

[News 9 11/7/12 by Associated Press]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

 There is a stark contrast to how adoption fraud on the part of fake birthmothers is handled versus adoption agencies that defraud prospective parents. This is a federal case in which only $3000 was taken. PAPs have been taken for 10 times that amount and investigations aren’t even opened.

Update: On Wednesday December 12, 2012, Dotson pled guilty to wire fraud in U.S. District Court.

“An indictment alleged that Dotson devised and intended to devise a scheme to defraud families in Oklahoma, Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Ohio, Virginia and Texas. Dotson used the aliases Deamber Dobson, Amber Bradley, Brandi Marie Smith, Deamber Danielle Dotson and Alexis.
Investigation by Muskogee police and FBI agents revealed Dotson was finding families in those states who were looking to adopt a child. She would tell the families she had a baby that needed to be adopted and request that money be sent to her through Green Dot cards or a MoneyGram.
Dotson would often claim to be from the same state as the people she was targeting  but would claim to be stranded in Oklahoma and in need of money to get home.
The federal indictment listed 11 people who sent money to Dotson.
Muskogee County District Attorney Larry Moore said the state intends to continue with its case against Dotson once she is sentenced in federal court. Moore’s office charged Dotson on Sept. 27, 2011, with eight counts of obtaining money by false pretense for running the adoption scam. Twelve months after she bonded out on those charges, Dotson was arrested and charged again Oct. 2 for allegedly running the same scam.
Moore said his office anticipates Dotson pleading to the state charges because she has already pleaded guilty in federal court.
“We don’t anticipate taking her to trial,” he said. “We were waiting until the federal case was done.”
Unlike when Dotson bonded out and restarted the adoption scam, Moore said he’s pleased Dotson will be incarcerated while his case against her progresses.
“We feel very satisfied she won’t be out and able to do this again,” he said.
The statutory range of punishment for Dotson’s federal charge is up to 20 years imprisonment and/or up to a $250,000 fine.
Dotson will be sentenced in federal court following the completion of a presentence investigation.”

Woman pleads guilty in adoption fraud

[Muskogee Phoenix 12/12/12 by Devon Goforth]

Update 3:

“A Muskogee woman was sentenced to four years in prison for her role in an adoption scam crisscrossing the entire country.

Muskogee Woman Sentenced for Adoption Scam

[KTUL 8/19/13 by Homa Bash]