Politics > Politics-USA > WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Prosecutors are considering charges againstthe biological son of a woman accused in a lucrative adoption scam that stretchedfrom New York to South Florida, authorities said Tuesday.
| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"fx" |
| Date: |
21 Aug 2007 03:32:59 PM |
| Object: |
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Prosecutors are considering charges againstthe biological son of a woman accused in a lucrative adoption scam that stretchedfrom New York to South Florida, authorities said Tuesday. |
Abuse, adoption scam may snare accused's son, prosecutor says
By BRIAN SKOLOFF | Associated Press Writer
3:13 PM EDT, August 21, 2007
http://www.amny.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--abuse-adoptedchil0821aug21,0,7582742.story
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Prosecutors are considering charges against the
biological son of a woman accused in a lucrative adoption scam that
stretched from New York to South Florida, authorities said Tuesday.
Prosecutor Lev Evans said he may charge Desmond Leekin, 39, after some
of his 11 adopted siblings told Port St. Lucie police investigators that
he participated in beatings with his mother, Judith Leekin.
One of the adopted children, Jamel Wells, now 19, told authorities that
Desmond Leekin, who worked for the Wackenhut Corp. security firm,
handcuffed him to a crib and used his weapon to pistol-whip him in 2004.
According to investigators, Desmond Leekin "then put the barrel of the
weapon into Jamel's mouth and told him if Jamel ever 'disrespected' his
mother again, he would shoot him."'
He told investigators that Desmond Leekin also used a billy club to beat
him and the other children.
Wells said he would be "punished violently when Judith Leekin would
become enraged over little things like not dusting the window sills
properly." He said he fled the home in 2004.
Judith Leekin, 62, is charged with multiple counts of abuse. Authorities
say she adopted 11 children from New York City between 1988 and 1996
under various aliases and kept the children, many of them suffering from
mental and physical handicaps, like prisoners in her Port St. Lucie
home. She has pleaded not guilty.
Several of the children have the last name Wells, one of the aliases
police say she used. Authorities say it is unclear how many, if any, of
the adopted children are biologically related to each other.
Desmond Leekin has told authorities he rarely visited his mother's home
because he had a bad relationship with her, and knew very little of the
children in her care. A telephone message left for the son Tuesday was
not immediately returned. It could not be determined if he has an attorney.
Judith Leekin's attorney, Mario Garcia, would not comment on the
allegations against her son, citing a conflict of interest. But he
denied the allegations against his client and accused police of coaching
the adopted children during their interviews.
"Nothing is what it seems," Garcia said Tuesday. He said that because of
the investigation, the Florida Department of Children & Families seized
Desmond Leekin's own children last week. DCF declined to comment.
Police say the children _ who now range in age from 15 to 28 _ were
often handcuffed, beaten, starved and locked in a room. They were
deprived of medical care and were not allowed to attend school, police say.
Authorities say Leekin received up to $1.26 million in subsidies from
New York for the children's care. She could face up to 190 years in
prison if convicted.
Several children told stories similar to those of Jamel Wells involving
Desmond Leekin, according to police documents.
Tracey Wells, 18, told police Desmond frequently beat the children "with
shoes, belts and sticks."
She said "it seemed Desmond was jealous because he never got any
attention from Judith Leekin growing up," according to police reports.
Nine of the children and disabled adults are in Florida state care.
Jamel Wells remains on his own elsewhere in the state. Authorities are
still looking for an 11th child Leekin adopted.
There might also be a 12th victim, according to Evans and court records.
One witness, Cherise Shelton, a Leekin friend from New York, told
authorities that a baby girl named Sheena died while in Leekin's care there.
Desmond Leekin also told police he remembered a female foster child
dying in New York in the late 1980s or early 1990s.
Sharman Stein, spokeswoman for the New York City Administration for
Children's Services, said the agency's investigation is continuing. She
had no comment on the potential 12th child.
"We only know of 11 so far," Stein said Tuesday.
CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA / CIA
WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....
CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.
every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...
http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf
http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com
Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS
*Perpetrators of Maltreatment*
Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5
CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING HUNDREDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...
BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...
.
|
|
|
Related Articles |
|
|
