Internet Twins' Mother Indicted

Tranda Wecker, the birth mother whose twins were caught in a trans-Atlantic adoption dispute between couples in California and Wales, was indicted Thursday on federal fraud charges.

A federal grand jury indicted Wecker, 29, of St. Louis, on nine felony counts of filing false statements to obtain government benefits and one count of mail fraud. She was expected to turn herself in this week, U.S. Attorney Raymond Gruender's office said.

Wecker was not immediately available for comment.

On each count, Wecker faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. There is no apparent connection between the indictments and the adoption dispute.

Wecker and her estranged husband, Aaron Wecker, have been battling in state court for custody of 14-month-old Kiara and Keyara. The girls are currently in the care of the Missouri Division of Family Services, though both parents have been allowed regular, supervised visits.

St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Steven Ohmer said last week the investigation phase of the case is taking longer than he expected and may last until October. It is up to Ohmer to decide if either parent should get custody, if a custody arrangement can be worked out, or if the children should remain in foster care.

On Thursday, Ohmer said he wasn't sure yet what effect Wecker's indictment would have on the custody case.

"We'll see," he said. "It won't shorten it, that's for sure."

The parents twice agreed to put the girls up for adoption through a California-based Internet service. A California couple, Richard and Vickie Allen, paid $6,000 to the service before the adoption was halted. A Welsh couple, Judith and Alan Kilshaw, then paid a $12,000 fee to adopt the twins.

After the adoption was publicized, a court ordered the twins placed in foster care in Wales pending a decision on custody. The Kilshaws' adoption was voided by an Arkansas court because neither they nor Tranda Wecker had established residency there.

The Kilshaws gave up their custody fight in Britain earlier this year and a judge there ordered the twins sent back to St. Louis in April.

According to the indictment, Wecker gave false statements to the Northeast Community Action Corporation and the St. Louis Housing Authority between September 1997 and August 2000. Both agencies administer low-income rental subsidies for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The indictment also says Wecker applied for unemployment benefits in September 1999 while she was working for Wal-Mart Associates and three other employers. She also is charged with making false statements for food stamps and other aid between January 2000 and January 2001.

By JOE STANGE
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