FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — The Arizona official who is accused of running an adoption-fraud scheme involving smuggling women from a country in the Pacific asked an Arkansas court to delay his trail for 10 months, arguing the defense has already received hundreds of documents related to charges. Prosecutors say Maricopa County Assessor […]
PHOENIX (AP) — Officials in Arizona have hired two law firms and a former attorney general to investigate an elected county assessor who is trying to keep his job as he defends himself against human smuggling charges. Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel said Tuesday that the lawyers will investigate Maricopa […]
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 has found […]
PHOENIX (AP) — An elected official in metro Phoenix has pleaded not guilty to fraud and theft charges stemming from an alleged human smuggling scheme involving pregnant women from the Marshall Islands who were brought to the U.S. to give birth for adoptions. Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen, who in […]
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — An elected official in Arizona accused of running a human smuggling scheme that brought pregnant women from the Marshall Islands to the U.S. has pleaded not guilty to federal charges in Arkansas. Authorities say Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen illegally paid the Pacific island women to […]
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah judge has reduced the bail for an Arizona county elected official charged in an alleged human smuggling scheme involving pregnant women. The Deseret News reports that a district judge Friday reduced Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen’s bail to $150,000 from $3 million. Charges against Petersen […]
PHOENIX (AP) — The president of the Republic of the Marshall Islands is applauding U.S. authorities for arresting an Arizona elected official accused of running an illegal adoption scheme involving pregnant Marshallese women. President Hilda Heine issued a statement Thursday saying people like Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen have been […]
PHOENIX (AP) — A lawyer for an Arizona elected official charged in three states with facilitating an illegal international adoption scheme said Tuesday prosecutors have miscast his client as a human smuggler. Attorney Matt Long said Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen cares deeply for the mothers from the Marshall Islands […]
PHOENIX (AP) — The Latest on an Arizona county official accused of human smuggling in an adoption fraud scheme (all times local): 1:38 p.m. Officials in three states say they will not try to undo or interfere with dozens of adoptions done as part of a human smuggling scheme that […]
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.-Saturday evening, the #8 Scottsdale Artichokes, currently 3-0 on the season, host the #3 Snow Badgers, who also sport a 3-0 record in the Western States Football League opener for both squads. The Artichokes have played their fellow Maricopa County schools in non-conference games this season, vanquishing Glendale Community […]
