How Could You? Hall of Shame-Brandon and Anna Marie Riggs, Stephen Lynch 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 Kokomo, Indiana, 31-year-old Stephen P. Lynch was arrested “in a scheme to trade a 2-year-old boy for money, drugs and a car.”

He “was being held on $75,000 cash bond Friday night in Howard County Jail. The Kokomo Tribune reports sheriff’s deputies arrested him Thursday on charges of conspiracy to deal in a narcotic, and conspiracy to commit child selling and profiting from an adoption. [Wouldn’t all adoptions qualify for that last charge?]

Kokomo man arrested in child-selling scheme
[WTHR 10/7/11]

“Howard County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrested one of four people believed to be involved in the baby selling scheme, Stephen P. Lynch Jr., 31, on Thursday afternoon. One other person, the child’s biological father, Brandon Riggs, is in the Cass County Jail on unrelated charges, the sheriff’s department said Friday evening.

The sheriff’s department is seeking the public’s help to locate the child’s biological mother, Ann Riggs, and the other person the sheriff’s department said was involved in the scheme, Melissa Lynch.

Anyone with information should call the Howard County Sheriff’s Department at 765-457-1105.

The trade allegedly took place in October 2009, when the child was 4 months old. A tip from a witness to the scheme led the sheriff’s department to begin investigating the case on May 20 of this year.

Further investigation revealed that on or about March 10, 2011, the Riggses and Lynches attempted to file a petition for adoption through Howard Circuit Court; however the requirements for adoption had not been met.

Lynch is preliminarily charged with conspiracy to deal in a narcotic, a Class A felony, and conspiracy to commit child selling and profiting from an adoption, both Class D felony, along with possession of a controlled substance and possession of paraphernalia.”

Police arrest one in baby-selling scheme, seek two other suspects
[WISH TV 10/7/11]

Police: Couples Traded Infant For Cash, Drugs, Car
[WRTV 10/7/11]

Update: “Anna Marie Riggs, 26, and her husband Brandon, from Indiana, said they were simply doing what was best for their child Brandon Jnr, who was born a methadone addict due to his mother’s addictions.

Police allege that they traded their four-month-old baby in for the money and the drugs and a $3,500 Lincoln car to accused drug dealers Stephen and Melissa Lynch.”

“All four were charged with Class A felony conspiracy to deal in a narcotic, as well as conspiracy to commit child selling and profiting from an adoption as D felonies.

The Riggses were also charged with welfare fraud for allegedly receiving nearly $3,000 in food stamps and assistance from December 2009 through July 31, 2011, even though their child no longer lived with them.”

“Brandon Riggs wrote in a letter to the Pharos-Tribune: ‘In no kind of way did we sell our baby. Not money, not drugs, nor a simple car have any part in the adoption process.’

Riggs is currently serving time in Cass County jail on an unrelated drug charge. he insisted the couple were ‘in no way capable of caring for a newborn’ when he was born in June 2009.

It was when the two couples tried to make the adoption legal in March this year that authorities were involve.

The court denied the petition filed by the Lynches.

Then in May, someone anonymously tipped off authorities that the child had been sold rather than given up.

This prompted an investigation by Indiana’s Howard County Sheriff’s Department.”

“Stephen Lynch was arrested on October 6 but his wife is still at large.

The child, who is now two years old, has been placed in the care of Child Protective Services.”

Couple ‘sell baby to known drug dealers for $13,000 in cash, a $3,500 Lincoln car and 50 Oxycontin pills
[Daily Mail 10/18/11 by Rachel Quigley]

Update 2: ” An Indiana couple has pleaded guilty to arranging to buy a 4-month-old baby from the child’s natural parents for $13,000 and drugs.

Stephen P. Lynch, 32, and his wife, Melissa Lynch, 35, of Kokomo, Ind., admitted their involvement in the baby-selling scheme Wednesday as part of a plea-bargain arrangement.

They were charged with conspiracy to deal in a narcotic drug and profiting from an adoption. They could receive 12 years in prison, although the prosecutor has agreed to ask for only eight years behind bars.

The Lynches were arrested seven months ago, along with Brandon and Anna Riggs of Kokomo, after an investigation revealed the Riggses had sold their son to the Lynches.

The child was 4 months old when the trade took place in October of 2009, prosecutors said.

Authorities became suspicious when the two couples filed a petition for adoption in March of 2011 even though no background check or home study had been completed by child welfare officials.

The boy’s mother, Anna Riggs, 26, pleaded guilty earlier this year to drug and child-selling charges. She was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison. Her husband Brandon, 31, awaits trial.”

Indiana couple pleads guilty in baby-trafficking case
[Bluefield Daily Telegraph 4/12/12 by CNHI]

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