United States Attorney’s Office

Eastern District of Michigan

Matthew Schneider
United States Attorney

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Gina Balaya - (313) 226-9758
February 26, 2020 www.justice.gov/usao/mie/index.html

Macomb Mother Sentenced on Wire Fraud Charges

Related To Fraudulent Adoption Scheme

A Macomb County woman was sentenced today to 121 months on charges of

wire fraud in connection to an adoption fraud scheme, announced United States
Attorney Matthew Schneider.

Schneider was joined in the announcement by FBI Special Agent in Charge

Steven M. D’Antuono.

Sentenced was Tara Lynn Lee, 38, of New Haven, Michigan. In sentencing Lee,
United States District Judge Bernard A. Friedman ordered that she pay restitution in the
amount of more than $1 million and forfeit nearly $300,000.

According to court records, Lee operated in Michigan under the name Always
Hope Pregnancy and Education Center. Neither Lee nor her organization were licensed
by the State of Michigan to facilitate adoptions or match birth mothers to adoptive
families. Yet from 2014 to 2018, Lee repeatedly paired birth mothers with adoptive
parents. Lee represented herself to adoptive parents as a licensed social worker with a
legitimate adoption agency.

At the time of her plea last year, Lee admitted that on several occasions, she
matched more than one set of adoptive parents to a birth mother. Other times, Lee
matched adoptive parents with birth mothers that did not exist, were not pregnant, or
had not decided to place their child into adoption. Lee requested and received payment
from prospective adoptive parents for these fraudulent matches. In her plea agreement,
Lee admitted to causing a loss over $250,000.

“This case is heartbreaking. Defendant Lee ruthlessly conned parents who were
hoping to adopt the precious gift of life,” stated United States Attorney Matthew
Schneider. “Lee literally stole the dreams of people who wanted to become Moms and
Dads. And she used the profits from those stolen dreams to buy high-end jewelry and
luxuries for herself. Such a twisted and sick deceit of these innocent victims deserves
this appropriate sentence in federal prison.”

"The sentence imposed on Ms. Lee is a reflection of the devastating

consequences her behavior has had on expectant mothers, adoptive parents, and
families across the country. The victims have been robbed of much more than their
money and it is our hope that the resolution of this case brings them a measure of
peace,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono. “The agents and
prosecutors who worked diligently on this case should be commended for their
commitment holding Ms. Lee accountable for her indefensible and egregious actions.”

A webpage has been created to provide case related information to those

effected by the offenses. Please visit www.justice.gov/usaeo-edmi
and click the link titled U.S. v. Tara Lee.

The case was investigated by the Detroit FBI, and it is being prosecuted by
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Woodward.