A Maine woman has been accused of conning a Newnan couple out of nearly $14,000 in a botched adoption agreement, according to Coweta County authorities. Jessica Thibeault, who had previously facilitated a seamless adoption with the same couple, allegedly reneged on her promise to grant them custody of her unborn child, leading to her arrest on charges of adoption fraud.
Reports from FOX 5 Atlanta indicate Thibeault contacted the Newnan couple in August 2023 through attorneys to propose the adoption of her expected baby, which would be a half-sibling to their previously adopted child. The couple began to duly support Thibeault with payments to cover various expenses, but on January 12, she gave birth prematurely and ceased all communications with them. Thibeault was later found to be wearing a "conspicuously large, heavy coat" when collecting a payment from her attorney, as per statements obtained by the Coweta County Sheriff's Office.
According to an investigation by the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office starting February 14, the couple was unaware that Thibeault had already given birth. After a period of silence, she disclosed to a social worker her decision to keep the child five days before the delivery, a decision she had not communicated to the adoptive parents.
Thibeault eventually surrendered herself on February 29 after authorities in Maine had trouble locating her, learning she had moved out of her known residence months earlier. As WSB-TV Atlanta reports, over a period of four months, the couple made payments totaling more than $13,520, believing they were to soon welcome a new child into their family. Instead, they were left grappling with the aftermath of what has been alleged to be a deliberate act of deception.
Now released on a $9,000 bond, Thibeault faces serious legal repercussions for her actions. The Newnan couple, who had opened their hearts and home to what they believed would be a new family member, have been left to bear the financial and emotional toll of a treacherous adoption ordeal.
