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 […]
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — An Arizona elected official charged with running an adoption-fraud scheme involving women from the Marshall Islands ran a legal practice and “made happy families,” his attorney said Friday. Paul Petersen, county assessor in the Phoenix area, had long arranged adoptions between women from the Pacific […]
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 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 […]
PHOENIX (AP) — An elected official in Arizona was suspended Monday after he was charged with running a human smuggling scheme that brought pregnant women from the Marshall Islands to the U.S. to give birth and then paid them to give up their children for adoption. Leaders in Arizona’s most […]
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 […]
