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Red Flag Warning
from TUE 11:00 AM MST until TUE 7:00 PM MST, Southern Graham-Central and Eastern Cochise-Southern Greenlee-Lower Elevations of the San Carlos Apache Nation in Graham County

Alleged Human Trafficking Adoption Scheme

Paul Petersen: Ex-Maricopa County assessor imprisoned for adoption scheme loses appeal

Paul Petersen: Ex-Maricopa County assessor imprisoned for adoption scheme loses appeal

Prosecutors have said Petersen illegally paid women from the Pacific island nation to come to the U.S. to give up their babies in at least 70 adoptions cases in Arizona, Utah and Arkansas.

January 11
Ex-Maricopa County politician’s accomplice gets 2 years in adoption scheme

Ex-Maricopa County politician’s accomplice gets 2 years in adoption scheme

A woman who acknowledged helping former Arizona politician Paul Petersen in an illegal adoption scheme involving women from the Marshall Islands was sentenced to two years in prison Tuesday.

July 14, 2021
Ex-Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen gets more prison time in adoption scheme

Ex-Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen gets more prison time in adoption scheme

Paul Petersen, Maricopa County’s assessor for six years, illegally paid women from the Marshall Islands to give up their babies in at least 70 adoption cases in Arizona, Arkansas and Utah.

April 22, 2021
Ex-Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen sentenced to 5 more years behind bars

Ex-Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen sentenced to 5 more years behind bars

A former Maricopa County Assessor is sentenced to five more years behind bars for his involvement in an adoption scam scheme involving pregnant women from the Marshal Islands.

March 19, 2021
Stiffest sentence sought against ex-Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen

Stiffest sentence sought against ex-Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen

Petersen, who is serving a 6-year prison term for a federal conviction in Arkansas stemming from the adoption scheme, is asking for a sentence of five years or less in Arizona -- and that he be allowed to serve it while doing his prison term in the Arkansas case.

March 17, 2021
Paul Petersen, ex-Maricopa County assessor, appeals sentence in adoption scheme

Paul Petersen, ex-Maricopa County assessor, appeals sentence in adoption scheme

Paul Petersen has asked an appeals court to throw out his six-year prison sentence, arguing a judge double-counted factors in the case that increased the severity of his punishment, such as concluding that he abused his position as an adoption attorney.

February 18, 2021
Ex-Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen to head to prison for illegal adoption scheme

Ex-Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen to head to prison for illegal adoption scheme

Paul Petersen, the former Maricopa County Assessor who pleaded guilty in connection with a human trafficking adoption scheme, must report to prison to serve out the first of his three prison sentences.

January 20, 2021
Ex-Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen sentenced to 74 months in prison for adoption scheme

Ex-Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen sentenced to 74 months in prison for adoption scheme

An ex-Maricopa County Assessor who resigned following his arrest in connection with an illegal adoption scheme involving women from a Pacific island will spend just over six years behind bars for the crime.

December 1, 2020
Former Maricopa County assessor to be sentenced in 3 states for adoption scheme

Former Maricopa County assessor to be sentenced in 3 states for adoption scheme

Paul Petersen, a Republican who served as metro Phoenix’s assessor for six years, also worked as an adoption attorney and paid mothers from the Marshall Islands to give up their babies.

November 25, 2020
Ex-Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen pleads guilty to human smuggling charge

Ex-Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen pleads guilty to human smuggling charge

A federal judge on Tuesday set a change-of-plea hearing for Paul Petersen, a Republican who served as Maricopa County’s assessor for six years until his resignation in January.

June 24, 2020
Paul Petersen pleads guilty to human smuggling in adoption scheme

Paul Petersen pleads guilty to human smuggling in adoption scheme

Paul Petersen, a Republican who served county assessor in metro Phoenix, has also struck a plea agreement with Arizona prosecutors on state Medicaid-fraud charges. He’s expected to enter similar pleas to federal charges in Arkansas next week.

June 19, 2020
Former Maricopa County Assessor pleads guilty in connection to adoption fraud investigation

Former Maricopa County Assessor pleads guilty in connection to adoption fraud investigation

Former Maricopa County Assessor Paul Peterson has pleaded guilty to fraud charges in connection to a human trafficking adoption scheme involving women from the Marshall Islands.

June 18, 2020
Co-defendant: Prostitution camp provided women in human smuggling case

Co-defendant: Prostitution camp provided women in human smuggling case

A co-defendant in an alleged human smuggling operation told police that a prostitution camp in the Marshall Islands provided many of the pregnant women involved in former Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen's allegedly illegal adoption business.

March 31, 2020
Gilbert councilman Eddie Cook selected as new Maricopa County Assessor

Gilbert councilman Eddie Cook selected as new Maricopa County Assessor

Cook replaces Paul Petersen who's accused of running a human smuggling operation that paid pregnant women from the Marshall Islands to give up their babies in the United States.

February 14, 2020
Efforts underway to choose replacement Maricopa County Assessor

Efforts underway to choose replacement Maricopa County Assessor

Maricopa County is moving closer to selecting a new assessor who will serve out the remainder of Paul Petersen's term.

February 4, 2020
Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen resigns amidst human smuggling accusations

Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen resigns amidst human smuggling accusations

Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen, who is accused of running a human smuggling operation that paid pregnant women from the Marshall Islands to give up their babies in the U.S., has resigned from his position.

January 8, 2020
Maricopa County board upholds Assessor Paul Petersen's suspension

Maricopa County board upholds Assessor Paul Petersen's suspension

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has voted to uphold Assessor Paul Petersen's suspension, who's accused of directing an international human smuggling scheme.

December 27, 2019
Arizona politician's alleged adoption aide pleads guilty

Arizona politician's alleged adoption aide pleads guilty

A woman accused of aiding a politician in metro Phoenix in what authorities say was an illegal adoption scheme involving women from the Marshall Islands has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and theft charges.

December 19, 2019
Maricopa County delays decision on official facing smuggling charge

Maricopa County delays decision on official facing smuggling charge

An Arizona county won't decide before Christmas whether to reinstate an elected official who was suspended when he was accused of directing an international human smuggling scheme, a spokesman said Thursday.

December 19, 2019
Embattled Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen appeals his suspension

Embattled Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen appeals his suspension

Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen, who is accused of running an international adoption scheme, is appealing his suspension from office.

December 11, 2019
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