U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas
1100 Commerce St., 3rd Fl.
Dallas, Texas 75242-1699

Telephone (214) 659-8600
Fax (214) 767-0978

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DALLAS, TEXAS
CONTACT: 214/659-8600
www.usdoj.gov/usao/txn

October 12, 2006

ABILENE, TEXAS, WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FEDERAL CHARGES IN ADOPTION SCAM

Defendant Caused Victims' Losses of Approximately $35,000

United States Attorney Richard B. Roper announced that Tawana Lynn Howard pled guilty today in federal court in Lubbock, Texas, to one count of wire fraud, in relation to an adoption scam she operated in which she defrauded adoption agencies and potential adoptive parents. Howard, age 26, was arrested in Abilene, Texas, in June on charges outlined in an eight-count federal indictment returned in March 2006 by a grand jury in Lubbock. She has been on personal recognizance bond since her arrest. She faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and restitution. The Honorable Sam R. Cummings, United States District Judge, ordered a pre-sentence investigation with sentencing to be scheduled after that investigation is complete.

According to the indictment, from July to December 2004, Tawana Lynn Howard
used materially false and fraudulent representations to solicit money from families and adoption agencies. During this time frame, Howard contacted Adoption Ad Network, Family to Family Adoptions, Inc., and Abby's One True Gift Adoptions, Inc. to assist her in locating a family to adopt her unborn child and each of these three agencies found a family that agreed to adopt Howard's child. At no time did Howard inform any of the agencies or families that she was involved with any other entity in the adoption of her unborn child.

One family retained Care Adoption, a Texas child placement agency to coordinate their adoption of Howard's child. Another family retained Family to Family Adoptions to coordinate their adoption of Howard's child and the third family retained Little Flower Adoptions, also a Texas child placement agency, to coordinate their adoption of Howard's child. Howard falsely and fraudulently represented that she was not working with any other adoption agencies or prospective adoptive parents. Howard also knew that it was illegal to accept money from one agency while working with another agency, yet, during this time period of approximately six months, she obtained approximately $6,500.00 from various adoption agencies for her living expenses. The total loss sustained by the victims, which includes attorneys' fees, administrative fees, and travel expenses, totaled $34,678.25. In November and December 2004, Howard informed the three families and the respective adoption agencies that she no longer wished to place her child for adoption.

United States Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Abilene Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Haag of the Lubbock, Texas, United States Attorney's Office.