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02-09-2005, 06:41 AM
http://www.tampatrib.com/FloridaMetro/MGBKFN8ZY4E.html
Woman Promised Baby To 2 Agencies
By ANTHONY McCARTNEY amccartney@tampatrib.com BY: and PETER BERNARD
Published: Feb 9, 2005
TAMPA - Police say a 22- year-old Tampa woman defrauded two Bay area
adoption agencies by promising her unborn child to each.
Rachelle Michelle Bruneau, who is 7 months pregnant, contracted to turn over
her baby to adoption firms in Largo and Bradenton, Detective Gene Gowarty
said.
A North Carolina couple paid more than $11,000 in living expenses and
attorney's fees to foster Bruneau through her pregnancy and the adoption
process.
They even sent her a Christmas present, Gowarty said. ``They didn't want her
to feel left out.''
Bruneau signed an exclusive adoption agreement with Adoption Advocates Inc.
in Largo, Gowarty said.
The company and Family Creations Adoption Agency in Bradenton exchanged
names of people who had signed agreements recently, Gowarty said, and
noticed that Bruneau's name appeared on both lists.
Gowarty said Bruneau, of 2328 W. Cherry St., signed the agreements about a
month apart in October and November. He said he did not know how much money
she received from the Bradenton agency.
Neither agency returned calls for comment Tuesday.
Bruneau also tested positive for cocaine use during an agency drug test,
Gowarty said. She also was arrested in June for cocaine possession, records
show. She pleaded guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia and served 21
days in jail, records show.
It is unclear what will happen to Bruneau's child when it is born. Gowarty
said the North Carolina couple likely will not seek its adoption.
Bruneau was being held Tuesday night at the Orient Road Jail on felony grand
theft and organized fraud charges in lieu of $4,000 bail.
Woman Promised Baby To 2 Agencies
By ANTHONY McCARTNEY amccartney@tampatrib.com BY: and PETER BERNARD
Published: Feb 9, 2005
TAMPA - Police say a 22- year-old Tampa woman defrauded two Bay area
adoption agencies by promising her unborn child to each.
Rachelle Michelle Bruneau, who is 7 months pregnant, contracted to turn over
her baby to adoption firms in Largo and Bradenton, Detective Gene Gowarty
said.
A North Carolina couple paid more than $11,000 in living expenses and
attorney's fees to foster Bruneau through her pregnancy and the adoption
process.
They even sent her a Christmas present, Gowarty said. ``They didn't want her
to feel left out.''
Bruneau signed an exclusive adoption agreement with Adoption Advocates Inc.
in Largo, Gowarty said.
The company and Family Creations Adoption Agency in Bradenton exchanged
names of people who had signed agreements recently, Gowarty said, and
noticed that Bruneau's name appeared on both lists.
Gowarty said Bruneau, of 2328 W. Cherry St., signed the agreements about a
month apart in October and November. He said he did not know how much money
she received from the Bradenton agency.
Neither agency returned calls for comment Tuesday.
Bruneau also tested positive for cocaine use during an agency drug test,
Gowarty said. She also was arrested in June for cocaine possession, records
show. She pleaded guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia and served 21
days in jail, records show.
It is unclear what will happen to Bruneau's child when it is born. Gowarty
said the North Carolina couple likely will not seek its adoption.
Bruneau was being held Tuesday night at the Orient Road Jail on felony grand
theft and organized fraud charges in lieu of $4,000 bail.
