PHOENIX (AP) — A former Arizona politician who admitted running an illegal adoption scheme in three states involving women from the Marshall Islands was sentenced in Arkansas to six years in federal prison. The sentence issued Tuesday to former Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen is the first of three punishments […]
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A former Arizona politician has pleaded guilty in Utah to human smuggling charges in an illegal adoption scheme that stretched across three states and involved women from the Marshall Islands. Paul Petersen is a Republican who served as county assessor in metro Phoenix. The Friday […]
PHOENIX (AP) — An Arizona elected official has resigned amid charges he paid women from the Marshall Islands to give up their children for adoption in the U.S. Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen’s resignation Tuesday came after county leaders suspended him. Petersen has been charged with illegally paying women to […]
An Arizona county won’t decide before Christmas whether to reinstate an elected official who was suspended when he was accused of directing an international human smuggling scheme. A spokesman said Thursday that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is waiting for a final investigative report into Assessor Paul Petersen’s handling […]
Investigators have found no evidence an Arizona official neglected his duties after he was charged with running an adoption-fraud scheme involving women from the Marshall Islands. The Arizona Capitol Times reported Thursday that the investigators have said it is up to county supervisors to determine if Maricopa County Assessor Paul […]
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A lawyer for an Arizona elected official accused of running an adoption-fraud scheme is pushing back against human smuggling charges, saying his client ran a legal practice and “made happy families.” Utah attorney Scott Williams said following a court appearance Friday that his client Paul […]
PHOENIX (AP) — The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has scheduled a Dec. 11 hearing for Assessor Paul Petersen to appeal his suspension amid human smuggling and other charges Lawyers for Petersen say the suspension last month was illegal. They say they don’t expect the county supervisors will change their […]
PHOENIX (AP) — A leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says he is “disgusted” by an Arizona elected official and church member accused of running an adoption scheme. Ronald Rasband, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, told The Arizona Republic the church leadership […]
PHOENIX (AP) — The governing board in Arizona’s most populous county has suspended an elected official accused of running a human smuggling scheme involving pregnant women from the Marshall Islands brought to the U.S. to give birth for adoptions. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Monday to suspend […]
