NY woman pleads guilty in adoption scam of 11 kids
Criminal Law
A woman admits to using false names to adopt 11 disabled children in New York City and rake in more than $1 million in subsidies over two decades.
Judith Leekin agreed to forfeit the subsidy money as she pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges Tuesday. She did not make any admissions in a separate abuse case in Florida.
She is accused of beating and starving the children in her Florida home. They moved to that state in 1998.
The 63-year-old Leekin also admitted she sent officials a phony report card documenting a child's progress. She could face up to eight years in prison on the federal mail and wire fraud charges.
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Is Now the Time to Really Call a Special Education Lawyer?
IDEA, FAPE, CHILD FIND and IEPs: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees all children with disabilities to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). FAPE starts with a school’s responsibility to identify that a child has a disability (Child Find) and create an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to suit the needs of the child.
Forte Law Group is one of only a very few law firms within the state of Connecticut that is dedicated to exclusively representing families and children with special needs.
Parents need to be persistent, dedicated and above all else aware of the many services and accommodations that their child is entitled to under the law. As early as this point within your child’s special education, many parents will often find themselves in the situation asking, “is now the time to really call a special education lawyer?” Here are a few things to consider when asking yourself that question.