Lawyer in Baby-Selling Scam Faces Sentencing

Attorney Theresa Erickson was a star in the complex, competitive, and sometimes lucrative business of helping childless couples adopt babies. She was a frequent guest on national TV shows; she self-published a book on "assisted reproduction," and she presented herself on her website as a tireless, fearless advocate for adoption. Eager to expand her business, she was looking to attract gay clients. A different Erickson will appear for sentencing Friday in San Diego federal court: an admitted felon, the alleged ringleader behind an international scheme to pay surrogates to carry embryos to term so the babies could be placed with couples throughout the United States. In August, Erickson, 45, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, knowing she could be sentenced to five years in prison. Two co-defendants also pleaded guilty.

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