How Could You? Hall of Shame -Roxanne Janel Jones UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Kansas City, Missouri, Roxanne Janel Jones aka Kristy Bennett aka Cindy Stevens, “faces two theft counts connected to the Leavenworth couple. One is for theft from the couple. The other is for theft from Christian Family Services, the agency the couple was working with to facilitate the adoption. She is scheduled to appear in Johnson County court on Thursday.”

KCTV reports that “Jones was arrested on March 16 after fleeing from a hotel room set up by a CBS News crew as a sting. The CBS investigation reported 10 similar incidents of adoption fraud from an impostor birth mother based in the metro using six different aliases, all since January.”

Local Adoption Investigation Goes National
[KCTV5 3/28/11]

CBS worked with “with Adoptionscams.net, and the phone numbers and other information Jones had used for her scams, we tracked her down.

Last month, posing as a mother looking to adopt, one of our producers made contact with Jones — who now said her name was Cindy Stevens. In three weeks our producer received more than 120 text messages and dozens of calls – at all hours – pressing for cash for bills, food and rent. One time Jones called saying she needed $100 right now, or else she’d be evicted. We went along, and wired small amounts of money that were picked up at a check-cashing store. ”

Woman promises couples babies, delivers heartache
[CBS 3/28/11 by Armen Keteyian]

CBS reporter Pat Milton posed as the PAP.

The criminal complaint is here.
CBS reporter goes undercover as adoptive mom
[CBS 3/28/11 by Pat Milton]

Update: “Two people have been indicted on federal charges for allegedly running an adoption scam that defrauded a Leavenworth couple and a number of other victims, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Roxanne Janel Jones, 34, and Taj A. Isaiah, 28, both of Kansas City, Mo., are each charged with one count of conspiracy and four counts of wire fraud. Jones also faces three counts of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Jones is accused of pretending to be pregnant and willing to let her unborn children be adopted in return for money and gifts. Isaiah allegedly helped with the scam by pretending at various times to be Jones’ husband, boyfriend or landlord, according to the news release from the office of Barry Grissom, U.S. attorney for Kansas.

In addition to the Leavenworth couple, the defendants are alleged to have defrauded people from Bonner Springs, Olathe, Shawnee and Florence, Kan., as well as California, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York and Tennessee.

Jones previously was charged in a criminal complaint filed April 13 in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan. The indictment, which was returned Thursday, supersedes the earlier complaint.

According to the indictment, the Leavenworth couple had been prospective adoptive parents.

They met with Jones after she allegedly contacted an adoption specialist with an Overland Park adoption services company Jan. 20, claiming she was pregnant and wished to put her child up for adoption, according to the indictment.

The specialist and the prospective adoptive parents met with Jones, who allegedly was using an alias, the next day.

“During the meeting (the Leavenworth couple) discussed the adoption with defendant Jones, took photographs with her, and took her to eat a meal,” the indictment states.

A few days later, the couple provided a check for $1,000 to the Overland Park company. And the company sent Jones $500 for rent, according to the indictment.

In another incident, Jones is accused of contacting a different adoption agency in Overland Park, claiming to be pregnant with twin boys and willing to give them up for adoption. Jones allegedly told the company’s adoption specialist she needed help with rent and groceries, according to the news release.

As a result, a couple in Minnesota reportedly wired $16,265 to an escrow account in the Kansas City area and the adoption agency began drawing from the account to make payments to Jones.

In another case, the indictment alleges, a California couple flew to the Kansas City area where they took Jones and Isaiah to dinner and bought Jones massages, a haircut, groceries and meals.

When Jones allegedly sent text messages to say the twins had been born and could be picked up at the University of Kansas Hospital, the couple were told by the hospital that there was no record of Jones giving birth.

When Jones allegedly tried to renew the talk of adoption, the couple were told at various times that she had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and injured in a car accident, according to the news release.

A conviction on the conspiracy charge could result in a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.

Each count of wire and mail fraud also could result in a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.

A conviction for aggravated identity theft would carry a mandatory two-year sentence to run consecutive to other sentences and a fine of up to $250,000, according to the release.

James Cross, spokesman for the U.S. attorney, said court dates have not yet been set for Jones and Isaiah.”

Indictment alleges adoption scam
[Leavenworth Times 8/11/11 by John Richmeier]

“A Kansas City man has admitted that he took part in an adoption scam that affected 13 couples across the country.

Man pleads guilty to his part in adoption scam
[KOAM 11/16/11]

” A Kansas City man has pleaded guilty to helping his girlfriend run an adoption scam in which she pretended to be pregnant with twins and willing to let them be adopted in return for money and gifts, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Taj A. Isaiah, 29, Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud. In his plea, he admitted he assisted co-defendant Roxanne Janel Jones with a scheme in which she contacted adoption agencies, claimed to be pregnant and sought to meet couples who wanted to adopt. Jones asked the couples for money for rent and other living expenses.

In his plea, Isaiah admitted thirteen couples were swindled. The couples were from Olathe, Shawnee and Leavenworth, as well as Minnesota, Georgia, California and Tennessee.

Isaiah sometimes presented himself to prospective adoptive families as Jones’ landlord. In other cases, he said he was her boyfriend. He picked up money orders and wire transfers sent by prospective adoptive families. He also assisted Jones by meeting with prospective adoptive families and making false statements to them.

In one instance, Jones and Isaiah met with a couple from California in the cafeteria at the KU Medical Center. Jones told the couple they could pick up the babies from the nursery. When the couple went to the nursery, they were told there was no record of Jones giving birth. Isaiah and Jones left the hospital while the couple went to the nursery.

Sentencing is set for March 12. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million. The Overland Park Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service investigated. U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley prosecuted. ”
Kansas City Man Pleads Guilty In Adoption Scam
[Department of Justice 11/15/11]

Update 2: “A Kansas City woman has pleaded guilty to running an adoption scam in which she pretended to be pregnant with twins and willing to let them be adopted in return for money and gifts, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.

Roxanne Janel Jones, 35, Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. In her plea, she admitted she contacted adoption agencies, claimed to be pregnant and sought to meet couples who wanted to adopt. Jones asked the couples for money for rent and other living expenses.

In her plea, Jones admitted she swindled 14 couples. The couples were from Bonner Springs, Overland Park, Florence, Olathe, Shawnee and Leavenworth, as well as Minnesota, Georgia, California, Tennessee and Massachusetts.

Jones’ co-defendant, Taj A. Isaiah, 29, Kansas City, Mo., sometimes assisted her by pretending to be her landlord. He picked up money orders and wire transfers from prospective adoptive families and he made false statements to the couples.

The victims included the following:

– R.S. and L.S., who lived in Minnesota. Jones falsely told them she was pregnant with twins and wanted to place them up for adoption. In June 2009 they wired $16,265 to an escrow account to be used for Jones’ care during the pregnancy. Jones received $2,400 in gift cards and rent money from the couple.

– K.M. and J.M., who lived in Georgia.

– M.J. and D.W., a couple who lived in California. They flew to Kansas to meet Jones and Isaiah.
They bought Jones massages, a haircut, groceries and meals. In September, 2009, Jones sent them a text message saying she had given birth at KU Medical Center. The couple met Jones and Isaiah in the hospital cafeteria before sending the couple to the hospital nursery to pick up the babies. At the nursery, the couple were told there was no record of Jones giving birth.

– J.B. and her husband, who lived in Bonner Springs. Jones contacted them after they placed an advertisement on Craigslist in hopes of putting their dog up for adoption. Jones adopted their dog and then told them she was pregnant with twins and wanted to give them up for adoption. The couple met with an attorney and a social worker in preparation for the adoption. Jones balked at giving them her Social Security number until they insisted. She shouted the number at them and they wrote it down. A check of the number showed it belong to Jones’ son. The couple sent 11 e-Money Grams to Jones totaling $830.

– Jes. B and Jer. B. of Knoxville, Tenn. The couple traveled to Kansas City where they took Jones and Isaiah to dinner. Isaiah pretended to be her landlord. The couple wrote checks to Isaiah to pay Jones’ rent.

– Ji. B. and Je. B., who sent checks to Isaiah to pay Jones’ rent.

– R.P. and A.P., who lived in Olathe. They bought Jones $100 worth of groceries.

– C.D. and D.D., who lived in Minnesota. Jones met them by responding to an online advertisement.

– S.W. and R.W., who lived in Shawnee. They took Jones and Isaiah to lunch. They gave Jones a $200 gift card and a check for $525.

– E.E. and M.E., who lived in Leavenworth. They gave $1,000 to an adoption agency in Overland Park. The agency gave $500 to Jones. [The agency pocketed HALF! I am sure they returned that, right?]

– D.K. and R.G., who lived in Massachusetts. An adoption specialist for an adoption agency in Overland Park gave Jones a $200 Wal-mart gift card and a check for $550, both of which were paid for by the couple.

– H.G. and M.G., who lived in California. Jones sent them photos of two newborn babies who she claimed were her children.

– C.R. and M.R., who wired $650 to Jones to pay her rent.

– K.S. and T.S., who lived in Florence, Kan., They visited Jones while she was incarcerated at the New Century Jail in Johnson County, Kan., and then used a debit card to put $50 on her jail commissary account.

Jones is set for sentencing March 12. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on the conspiracy charge. On the aggravated identity theft charge, she faces a mandatory two years consecutive to the sentence on the other count.

Co-defendant Taj A. Isaiah, 29, Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to the conspiracy count and is set for sentencing March 12.

The Overland Park Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service investigated. U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley prosecuted.”
Woman Pleads Guilty To Swindling 14 Couples In Adoption Scam
[Salina Post 11/28/11]

Update 2: “Roxanne Janel Jones, 35, was sentenced to seven years and three months in federal prison on Monday after she pleaded guilty to to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

In her plea, Jones admitted she contacted adoption agencies, claimed to be pregnant and sought to meet couples who wanted to adopt. Jones asked the couples for money for rent and other living expenses.

On Monday, Jones admitted she swindled 23 couples. The couples were from Bonner Springs, Overland Park, Florence, Olathe, Shawnee and Leavenworth, as well as Minnesota, Georgia, California, Tennessee and Massachusetts. She also admitted swindling five adoption agencies.

Jones’ co-defendant, Taj A. Isaiah, 29, Kansas City, Mo., sometimes assisted her by pretending to be her landlord. He picked up money orders and wire transfers from prospective adoptive families and he made false statements to the couples.

Isaiah was sentenced to two years in prison on Monday for his role in the scheme.”

KCMO Woman Gets 7 Years for Adoption Scam
[Fox Kansas City 4/30/12 by Jason M. Vaughan]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Note how domestic adoption scam artists always get swift justice but adoption agencies who do the same to PAPs, domestic or international, rarely get jail or pay fines(maybe 2 have in the history?) and are allowed to continue to operate.