Jury Selection Under Way In Adoption Fraud Case

BOULDER, Colo. -- Jury selection began is under way in a case against a woman accused of bilking clients of thousands of dollarswhile running a Boulder-based international adoption agency.

Lisa Novak, 48, of Erie, is accused of failing to deliver on adoptions promised to two families through an orphanage in Guatemala. The families said they paid thousands of dollars but never got their money back.

Novak has been charged with multiple counts felony theft and one count of felony fraud.

Police said she ran the Claar Foundation adoption agency at 4141 Arapahoe Ave. in Boulder. It closed in December 2007.

Novak's attorney Lance Goff has said she didn't take any money.

Carolyn French is a spokeswoman for the Boulder County district attorney's office. She said jury selection could take a while.