[tobeafamily]

Woman pleads guilty in baby scam
By Matt Busse
mbusse@newsadvance. com
Tuesday, September 26, 2006

RUSTBURG - A Campbell County woman has pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor charges stemming from an Internet scam that bilked money from couples looking to adopt babies.

Joanne Clemenson, 41, was sentenced to 12 months in jail for each of the five counts of unlawfully taking money without intent to steal, said Sally Steel, Campbell County assistant commonwealth's attorney.

However, that time was suspended, which means Clemenson will not have to go to jail, as long as she pays $450 to five victims of the scam, Steel said.

Clemenson was indicted in September after authorities said she took fees of $50 to $200 from couples looking for babies to adopt and never contacted them afterward.

Clemenson advertised on adoption-support Web sites and used the America Online e-mail address noahsmom127@ aol.com, authorities said.

She asked prospective parents to send profiles detailing what kind of children they were looking for and said she would pass the profiles along to mothers.

Authorities learned of the scam when victims called the Campbell County Department of Social Services.

Calls came from California, Utah and North Carolina, among other places.

Clemenson had been scheduled for a Sept. 26 trial, but she entered the guilty pleas Sept. 18.