Posted on: Saturday, November 20, 2004

Woman sentenced in adoption plot

Associated Press

SEATTLE — A Kaua'i woman was sentenced to a year and a half in prison yesterday for her role in helping Americans adopt Cambodian children — even if they weren't orphans.

Lauryn Galindo, 53, also was ordered to perform 300 hours of community service, forfeit her $1.4 million home and pay more than $60,000 in restitution. She pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to commit visa fraud and launder money.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Zilly told Galindo her "conduct regarding children who were taken from their families far outweighs all the other good work you did for other children."

Galindo, of Hanalei, ran Seattle International Adoptions with her sister, Lynn Devin, who previously pleaded guilty to related charges and will be sentenced next month. Galindo admitted she organized a scheme in which some Cambodian children were taken from their families and represented on immigration forms as orphans from 1997 to 2001.

The case stemmed from a two-year investigation by the State Department and immigration officials.

"This investigation focused on a scheme that treated hundreds of children as nothing more than commodities," said Leigh Winchell, special agent-in-charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Seattle. The criminal behavior "exploited not only our nation's immigration system, but defrauded hundreds of well-meaning American parents who wanted nothing more than to provide orphans with a loving home."

Actress Angelina Jolie is one parent who used Seattle International Adoptions. But officials said there was nothing suspect about the adoption of her son, Maddox.

The government said it plans to take no action that would jeopardize the residency status of Cambodian children in the United States who were adopted through SIA.

At the sentencing hearing yesterday, Galindo's lawyer argued for leniency, noting that Galindo had done much charitable work and suffered mental problems from childhood.