Florida Officials Seek to Settle Inquiry over Coral Springs Adoption Agency

Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News

Author: Megan O'Matz, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Mar. 11 State officials are negotiating with the owner of a Coral Springs international adoption agency to settle an inquiry into unfair and deceptive business practices, possibly avoiding a civil suit.

The talks between International Adoption Resource Inc. and the state Department of Children & Families and the Attorney General's Office revolve around how long IAR may be prohibited from operating in Florida, and which of the company's workers, if any, may be legally permitted to get involved again in the adoption industry in Florida.

Also at issue: whether the company must repay clients thousands of dollars in fees.

DCF moved in January to revoke IAR's operating license, citing "international determinations or allegations that IAR is or has been involved in baby smuggling and kidnapping for the purpose of adoption by American families."

The company, headed by Rebecca K. Thurmond, denied any wrongdoing and is seeking the reinstatement of its operating license.

A hearing is set for March 31 and April 1 before an administrative law judge of the state Division of Administrative Hearings.

If a settlement is reached beforehand, the hearing will be canceled.

Jack Moss, DCF district administrator in Broward County, acknowledged: "DCF is involved in ongoing settlement negotiations with International Adoption Resource, Inc. regarding the licensing matter."

Michael B. Cohen, attorney for Thurmond, said: "There are discussions ongoing." He declined to comment further, except to say: "Hopefully we'll be able to resolve it to everyone's benefit, ultimately."

IAR caught the attention of authorities in September, when police raided a house rented by IAR in Costa Rica, finding nine Guatemalan babies there. IAR Attorney Cheryl Eisen later said IAR helped the children's birthmothers to travel from Guatemala to Costa Rica, where local attorneys were to arrange the adoption of the children by U.S. families, during a hiatus in overseas adoptions in Guatemala.

Investigators in Central America are looking at whether the children were brought to Costa Rica legally.

DCF has cited IAR for failing to inform the department that one of its employees, Adoption Coordinator Rolf Levy, was wanted in Costa Rica on suspicion of trafficking in children and was under investigation in Colombia for kidnapping and arranging illegal adoptions.

DCF found Levy was using numerous aliases and Social Security numbers. The department also claims IAR kept shoddy records on the children and families it served.

In December, the Florida Attorney General's Office subpoenaed the company's records in an investigation into whether IAR's advertising and business practices violated the state's consumer protection law.

JoAnn Carrin, spokeswoman for Attorney General Charlie Crist, declined to say whether the office is negotiating with IAR. "We are still in the process of investigating the international adoption group," she said.

However, Carrin said, in general, if the state can resolve a case through the settlement process and "get the same results we'd seek by going to court, it's not unusual for us to try to settle cases."

If a settlement is not successful, the attorney general's office could file a complaint in civil court if it finds the company has violated the law.

No criminal charges have been brought against IAR or Thurmond.