Phantom Child - NM

Child support fraud case lands in 2 courtrooms


The woman who made-up a baby to collect child support is back in court for her crimes, while the man who paid child support for that made-up baby is in another courtroom suing the DNA testing company.

Viola Trevino didn't say much in court Monday as she pleaded not guilty to 24 criminal charges that ranged from fraud to kidnapping.

The charges stem from her creation of a fake child to collect child support and when she lured a girl into a courtroom, so she could try to fool a judge into believing that she did have a daughter.

Trevino is already locked up on federal charges for lying about her phantom baby on tax forms.

And while she stood before a judge on Monday, in another courtroom sat Steve Barreras, the man forced to pay out $20,000 in child support for Trevino's make-believe baby.

So far Barreras hasn't been reimbursed a dime.

But that could change after a big trial that is now underway.

Barreras is suing Mobile Blood Services. The company was used to collect the sample that would eventually convince the court that the phantom baby was real.

Former employee, Pamela Flores is accused of taking DNA from Barreras' real adult daughter, Eve Barreras, and passing it off as the phantom child's DNA, creating a positive match.

Both Pamela Flores and Eve Barreras are facing fraud charges.

An attorney for Mobile Blood Services said the director of the company is not responsible for the DNA scam.

The trial is expected to last four days.

http://kob.com/article/stories/S190773.shtml?cat=500

Ugh, this is wrong on so many levels. Throw the book at her, and may he recover damages and then some.