BENTONVILLE -- A Springdale woman is accused of defrauding a couple wanting to adopt her baby.
Angela Emos, 33, was arrested Tuesday and was being held Wednesday in the Benton County Jail with no bond set.
Prosecutors haven't filed a formal charge against Emos.
Roxanne Cartwright told Rogers police on Aug. 30, 2016, she and her husband had been trying to adopt a Marshallese baby for five years, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The Cartwrights live in North Dakota. They were matched with a pregnant Emos, and they hired Rogers attorney Vaughn Cordes, according to court documents.
Cartwright told police she and her husband put $30,000 in an account to cover attorney fees and other costs associated with the adoption, according to court documents. Cordes could give Emos $1,400 per month for expenses while she was pregnant, according to the affidavit.
Cartwright said Emos would receive the $1,400 and call her a few days later asking for more money, according to court documents. Cartwright said Emos quit talking to her when she refused to pay to fly Emos' family to Arkansas from the Marshall Islands. Emos blocked the couple on Facebook and quit returning text messages, according to court documents.
Cartwright said Emos told her in July 2016 she was going to keep her baby and she had been using the couple for their money, according to the affidavit. Cartwright said Emos' baby was scheduled to be delivered Aug. 1, 2016.
The Cartwrights didn't adopt Emos' child, but according to the affidavit, her child was adopted through another attorney.
The Cartwrights paid Emos $10,945 for adoption support, according to the affidavit.
Emos' arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 11 in Circuit Judge Brad Karren's court.
NW News on 11/02/2017