Feds charge woman in adoption scam of Kansas couple

Federal prosecutors have indicted a California woman accused of pretending to be pregnant with twins to scam prospective adoptive parents in Kansas.

An indictment filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Kansas charges Chrystal M. Rippey with wire fraud and mail fraud.

Prosecutors say a Shawnee couple wired $22,225 to an escrow account in Temecula, Calif., set up by an adoption agency for Rippey's living expenses. The mail fraud count stems from the mailing of a birth mother packet sent from an Overland Park adoption agency to the woman.

Court records do not name a defense attorney.

Prosecutors say Rippey gave the Kansas couple sonogram images of a twin pregnancy she falsely claimed were her unborn children.

Rippey is also accused of similar schemes in Delaware, California, Georgia and Texas.

This story was originally published February 20, 2014 at 10:14 AM with the headline "Feds charge woman in adoption scam of Kansas couple."