A Benton County couple pleaded guilty this week after prosecutors said they tried to hand over their two-month-old son at a Rogers campground in exchange for a six-pack of beer and $1,000. According to law enforcement, the alleged deal was caught on video and even put in writing in a handwritten agreement that deputies later seized.
Handwritten contract and the campground call
Investigators say they obtained a written document, allegedly signed by Darien Urban and Shalene Ehlers, that names a man identified as Cody Nathaniel Martin and states the parents were transferring rights to their baby for $1,000 on Sept. 21, 2024, according to the probable-cause materials. The affidavit and related court filings are posted on DocumentCloud, which shows deputies recovered the signed paper and cellphone video after a manager at the Hide Away Campground contacted the sheriff’s office about the incident.
What witnesses told deputies
Witnesses told investigators a camper first offered a six-pack of beer in exchange for keeping the infant overnight, and that the parents later agreed to a $1,000 payment, according to reporting that reviewed the affidavit. A bystander who changed the baby’s diaper told authorities the child smelled strongly of ammonia and had a severe rash and blisters, and emergency medical personnel took the infant to a hospital before the Arkansas Department of Human Services stepped in and took custody, as reported by People.
Plea deals and sentencing
On Monday, the parents accepted plea agreements in Benton County. Darien Urban pleaded guilty to attempted acceptance of compensation for adoption and received a three-year sentence in the Arkansas Department of Corrections, while Shalene Ehlers pleaded guilty to attempting to accept compensation for adoption and to endangering a child’s welfare. A judge deferred formal acceptance of her plea and placed her on six years of state-supervised probation, according to reporting that cites the court records. Law & Crime reviewed the plea paperwork and sentencing details.
What the agreements say and next steps
The plea documents bar both parents from contacting the child and set out conditions tied to probation and the prison sentence. Prosecutors had originally charged the pair with endangering the welfare of a minor and attempting to accept consideration for relinquishment of a minor after the Sept. 21 incident, according to local reporting. Recent coverage from KABB / Fox San Antonio outlines the courtroom outcomes and the evidence prosecutors presented at the hearing.
Why accepting payment for a child is a felony in Arkansas
Arkansas law explicitly prohibits parents from receiving any “compensation, fee, or any other thing of value” in exchange for giving up a minor, and prosecutors relied on those statutory protections when filing charges. Unlawfully accepting compensation as consideration for relinquishment is treated as a felony under state law. The statute and related adoption-code provisions appear in state legal summaries and code transcriptions available online. UniCourt notes that compensation for relinquishment is both prohibited and criminalized.
