Part 3
This arrangement violates an agreement called the Compact of Free Ass. between the U.S. and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, which bars Marshallese citizens from entering the U.S. if their travel is for the purpose of adoption. Petersen and Jennet are also accused of falsely claiming some of the pregnant women were residents of Az to get medical services provided by the Az Health Care Cost Containment System.The Utah Attorney General's Office said Petersen also transported more than 40 pregnant Marshallese women into Utah over the last three years.This arrangement also violates saidd agreement. The treaty provision on child adoptions was enacted to prevent unregulated int'l adoptions where the biological mothers' cultural misunderstandings might be exploited. For example, a study showed many women from the Marshall Islands allowed their children to be adopted by U.S. citizens thinking their children would benefit from better education and return to them as adults.
WATCH: Woman accused in international adoption fraud scheme allegedly involving Maricopa County assessor appears in court
The Utah Attorney General's Office said that the case was first uncovered when concerned hospital workers called the human trafficking tip line.
Petersen and Jennet are also accused of falsely claiming some of the pregnant women were residents of Arizona to get medical services provided by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System.
Arizona court documents say he's been running the adoption scheme since 2015. Petersen faces charges of conspiracy, fraud, theft and forgery in Arizona.
The website for Petersen's law office says it specializes in private adoption, which "occurs without the direct involvement of a 3rd party—such as an adoption agency or a state agency." The website also says Petersen has contacts in Arizona, Arkansas and Utah.
The website says it would cost $30k to $40k to adopt a child through Petersen's firm.
The person who contacted the trooper said he was referred to Petersen by a third party regarding adopting a child. He told DPS, according to court documents, the Peterson practices he learned about during their conversation were "suspicious."
According to court documents, DPS detectives learned Petersen has been involved in adoption Marshallese babies since at least 2005. Between Nov. 30, 2015, and May 30, 2019, detectives were able to identify 28 women from the Marshall Islands who gave birth in the Phoenix area and gave their child up for adoptions. One of those women gave birth twice.
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An agreement called the Compact of Free Association between the U.S. and the Republic of the Marshall Islands bars Marshallese citizens from entering the U.S. if their travel is for the purpose of adoption.
DPS Director Col. Frank Milstead said eight Marshallese women, who are believed to be pregnant, were found in a Mesa home where a search warrant was served Tuesday night. Several search warrants were carried out in the Valley around the time of Petersen's arrest.
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said Wednesday the families that adopted the children are not under investigation.
Pattern of adoption