Thursday, January 5, 2012

At least she was a professional scammer….

I want to share this story, although it was one of the most painful experiences of my life.

It all started with this woman:

DaVanna Dotson

And this baby:

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The story of what happened to us is here. I’ve copied a part of it for you to have here. If you go to the page and the video I’m the woman in the shadow. I didn’t want my face broadcast all over the place, but I thought it was important to tell our story.

A Fairhope woman who wanted to remain anonymous believes evil exists and it's found in Oklahoma. "Disbelief that someone could be so evil, and what amounted to $600 and something dollars," said a Fairhope woman who did not want to be identified.Oklahoma police say 20-year-old DaVanna Dotson faces eight felony charges for fraud. Her alleged crimes spans several states including Texas, Kansas, Alabama and Utah.Dotson was arrested in Oklahoma, where she lived on September 23 of this year. Police there said she preyed on people desperate for a child of their own."She says she has a baby born August 30, three weeks old. And she needed money to get to Mobile, and needed a home for the baby," said the Fairhope woman.Through a series of texts and phone calls, police say Dotson makes hopeful adoptive parents believe their dreams of having a family are coming true. Dreams pinned on a picture of a newborn baby boy she calls Jeremiah.

Text, after text, after text, police say Dotson assured potential adoptive parents like one Fairhope woman that she wants them to adopt her son. But first, she needs gas money to bring them the baby. A baby they've been dreaming of. The twisted tale of text messages describes a mother desperate to get back to Mobile and give baby Jeremiah a home. The Fairhope woman said Dotson asked her for $400 to pay for her trip from Oklahoma to Mobile and then asked for even more money. See for yourself in this excerpt from the text messages exchanged after Dotson describes trouble heading south. The Fairhope woman questions Dotson, who claims to be on the road driving to Alabama with the baby.  Potential adoptive parent: Do you know where y'all are? How much further do you have?Dotson replies: Nine hours, I'm going to need more gas.

The Fairhope woman questions her further.

Potential adoptive parent: You don't have enough to make it here? I thought you said $400 was plenty for gas? I need to hear back from you. The worry intensifies. The potential adoptive mother: We sent you $575. We want to help you get here, we just need more information. Where are you now? Dotson: I can't stop, I rather drive. If you send me another $500, we can just do everything closed and I'll bring him straight to you then we can go from there.

The Fairhope woman explains she can't send anymore money, and ask a question she fears she knows the answer to.

Potential adoptive parent: Did you ever intend to place this baby?Dotson responds: Yes, but I am not placing him with you."It is hard to describe at first when the moment sank in it was all a lie that there was just no baby, just devastation," said the Fairhope woman."My husband was sitting there, and I was sobbing because we've already gone through failed attempts at adoption and this was hard on us."

The Fairhope woman is just one of the people Oklahoma police said Dotson scammed. Lynn Hamlin, an investigator with the Muskogee Police Department said she has never seen anything so sinister. She said Dotson's deviant detailed deception took place in eleven states, and possibly more. "It is so widespread. A lot of the victims were from Alabama," said Investigator Hamlin. “It was one of states; so to speak, she was working on at the time she was apprehended." Hamlin said recently an alleged victim has stepped forward who is from Perdido, Alabama. The alleged victim was given the same story as the Fairhope woman, and many others across the country. Hamlin said the Federal Bureau of Investigations could get involved in the case since it crossed state lines. "Hopefully, we can get the FBI involved also and that gives us more resources that our State's District Attorney's Office," said Hamlin.

This story was well written except for one part:

Police there said she preyed on people desperate for a child of their own.

I’m not “desperate” for a baby. I wasn’t clinging to some hope that they was “the answer to our dreams”. In all reality I thought that we were helping a girl get home. I had actually told Andrew the night before that if we didn’t end up with her baby that at least we had helped someone get home.  There was never a baby though.

I’m not telling this story so anyone will feel sorry for me…That’s not it at all. Something amazing happened to me at this time, and it has ended up being one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I know this post has a lot of information, so I’m going to tell the other part of the story in another post coming soon.

Love you guys.

2 comments:

Bonnie@Creative Decorating said...

I am just amazed at the evil in the world. People with out morals that prey on the elderly, the disabled and the emotions of others.

I am also amazed at how many wonderful and loving people there are in the world. Those that will risk their life for someone they don't know.

I'm glad we have a God that can sort through the good and evil. In the end, I know He will take care of everything.

I'm sorry you had to go through such a situation but I was glad to hear that something positive happened for you as well.

Hang in there!

Brandi Nell said...

I am shocked. That's about the only thing I can think to say. I am so sorry you had to go through this. She is evil. Prayers are coming your way.

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