Cases

Over-medication of children came to the light after a series of complaints. In 2005 a bill was signed that tightened rules on when foster children can be given psychotropic drugs. The law requires prior consent of a foster child's parents or a court order before such drugs can be used. The bill's approval followed a report concluding that mood-altering drugs were being prescribed to 25 percent of Florida's foster children.

After the death of Gabriel Meyers further investigations into over-medication in foster care started.

8-year-old girl adopted by Earl and Tammy Steidl was sexually abused by her adoptive father, while being physically abused by her adoptive mother. Earl Steidl was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Masha Allen was adopted  in 1998 at the age of 5 from Novoshakhtinsk, Rostov, Russia into the US by a single male pedophile, Matthew Mancuso. Masha was sexually abused for five years and also became the subject of child pornography. In 2006 she testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committy. In 2008 the news broke that abuse supposedly had again taken place by Faith Allen/Lynn Ginn, the woman who had adopted her immediately after Masha's "rescue" from Mancuso.

15 year old boy adopted in Bulgaria, was taken to hospital after being hit with a chair for being out on his bicycle too long. Michael Esau Awada was charged. Patricia Anderson Awada was not charged. Charges were dropped in exchange for counseling.

20 month old "JT" was adopted in 2003. JT's father never consented to adoption and tried to stop the adoption. JT's adoptive parents were told lies about her history.

"Sasha" was adopted in Ukraine at age 7 by Minnesota couple Jeffrey and Michelle Bignell. After two years, the Bignells transferred custody to Glenda and David Kinghorn (see: Girl in care of David Kinghorn) who ultimately placed Sasha in an Arkansas psychiatric hospital where he was diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder. Jeff Bignell removed Sasha from the hospital and took him back to Donets'k Ukraine where he was also hospitalized.
Sasha was returned to Minnesota by county CPS and placed in Northwood Children's Services home.

Bignell's attended Valley Creek Church in Woodbury MN (AOG)

Four children including one girl and three boys from Ukraine were adopted from an orphanage near Kiev in 2001. The three boys are siblings.

In 2003, at the age of 13, the girl became pregnant, claiming the father was her adopted brother. She was moved to the Liberty God Parents Home, where she delivered the baby, which was subsequently placed for adoption.

At the time a new adoptive home was sought for her. One of the boys was in foster care system at the time of the pregnancy and was expected to be sent back to Ukraine. What happened to the other boys is unknown.

4 year old girl adopted by Brian Christopher  and LaRae Marara Sullivan. Claiming to have been ordered by god like a modern day Abraham, Brian Chistopher Sullivan stabbed the girl and his wife with a knife. Both died.

 

Marian and John DiMarias, conservative evangelical Christians, adopted 21 girls from third-world countries. The adopted girls were all impaired; most were deaf. In February, 2003, the State of Vermont learned that John DiMaria had been sexually abusing the older girls for years. He was convicted and jailed by the State.

During 1999 - 2003 DiMaria and her husband, John DiMaria, lived in Jericho, VT  and operated the Gypsy Grace Ranch, advertised as "North America's Largest Breeder" of Gypsy horses, an expensive English draft horse. The DiMarias moved to Vermont from Kentucky, where they also operated a horse farm.

In 2002 and 2003, after the DiMarias had exhausted Marian DiMaria's trust fund of over $7 million, they deceived the Mellon Bank in Pennsylvania, a trustee of the adopted girls' trusts, into sending them $168,000 for fictitious expenses. Further investigation revealed that DiMaria had received and spent $96,000 from one adopted victim's trust, and had defrauded the Social Security Administration of approximately $13,000, after she learned that her husband had been sexually abusing the children.

At least 2 girls were born in China, and Ukraine, at least one girl in India, Russia, Brazil, and Bolivia. (1996 they had 8 from: China, Russia, India, Brazil)  - (Olivia, Hannah, Rikki, Tressah, Anya, Elizabeth, + 15 more)

  Iva Fuiono and Posi Iva (US Photo)
Posi Iva's family was mislead about adoption.

"Dan Wakefield was like a friend who came here every week," grandfather Fatu Fuiono said. "He came with a sack of rice, noodles. That is why I loved him. If I saw him now I would ask him why he lied to us."