Peter McDonald

Talia had been adopted, and she had an adopted daughter. She said Julie's accusations not only scared her, they upset her. That night, Talia remembered that Tara Lee had given her access to Always Hope's email account. She wasn't sure if the login would still work, but it did. Talia and Tanya began reading over 4,000 emails Tara Lee had sent and received from her clients.

Talia had been adopted, and she had an adopted daughter. She said Julie's accusations not only scared her, they upset her. That night, Talia remembered that Tara Lee had given her access to Always Hope's email account. She wasn't sure if the login would still work, but it did. Talia and Tanya began reading over 4,000 emails Tara Lee had sent and received from her clients.

They created a spreadsheet of names, dates, and payments. Leaning against their office wall was another piece of evidence in a frame, Tara Lee's diploma for her master's in social work from Northwestern. Months earlier, Talia said she'd asked Tara Lee for proof of this degree. And after weeks of these requests, she said, Tara Lee presented them with the framed diploma for display.

They created a spreadsheet of names, dates, and payments. Leaning against their office wall was another piece of evidence in a frame, Tara Lee's diploma for her master's in social work from Northwestern. Months earlier, Talia said she'd asked Tara Lee for proof of this degree. And after weeks of these requests, she said, Tara Lee presented them with the framed diploma for display.

They created a spreadsheet of names, dates, and payments. Leaning against their office wall was another piece of evidence in a frame, Tara Lee's diploma for her master's in social work from Northwestern. Months earlier, Talia said she'd asked Tara Lee for proof of this degree. And after weeks of these requests, she said, Tara Lee presented them with the framed diploma for display.

But the FBI would discover that the diploma and her degree were fake, pure fiction. Talia and Tanya shared what they found with another attorney, Maria Penchenko, who represented the birth mothers in many of Tara Lee's adoptions. They took matters into their own hands and together reached out to the FBI's Detroit field office to report Tara Lee.

But the FBI would discover that the diploma and her degree were fake, pure fiction. Talia and Tanya shared what they found with another attorney, Maria Penchenko, who represented the birth mothers in many of Tara Lee's adoptions. They took matters into their own hands and together reached out to the FBI's Detroit field office to report Tara Lee.

But the FBI would discover that the diploma and her degree were fake, pure fiction. Talia and Tanya shared what they found with another attorney, Maria Penchenko, who represented the birth mothers in many of Tara Lee's adoptions. They took matters into their own hands and together reached out to the FBI's Detroit field office to report Tara Lee.

Days later, they were sitting with Special Agent Matt Sluss and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Woodward. And that's how the three prongs of the investigation, the Facebook group, the lawyers, and the Department of Justice came together to stop Tara Lee. For three weeks in October, agents Matt Sluss and Mark Krieg conducted as many interviews with adoptive parents and birth mothers as possible.

Days later, they were sitting with Special Agent Matt Sluss and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Woodward. And that's how the three prongs of the investigation, the Facebook group, the lawyers, and the Department of Justice came together to stop Tara Lee. For three weeks in October, agents Matt Sluss and Mark Krieg conducted as many interviews with adoptive parents and birth mothers as possible.

Days later, they were sitting with Special Agent Matt Sluss and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Woodward. And that's how the three prongs of the investigation, the Facebook group, the lawyers, and the Department of Justice came together to stop Tara Lee. For three weeks in October, agents Matt Sluss and Mark Krieg conducted as many interviews with adoptive parents and birth mothers as possible.

The evidence piled up. Agent Sluss' butcher paper chart morphed into a huge digital spreadsheet. Cell by cell, it documented the traumatic stories of more than 150 couples in 24 states and dozens of birth mothers from Detroit. Many of these couples kept good records.

The evidence piled up. Agent Sluss' butcher paper chart morphed into a huge digital spreadsheet. Cell by cell, it documented the traumatic stories of more than 150 couples in 24 states and dozens of birth mothers from Detroit. Many of these couples kept good records.

The evidence piled up. Agent Sluss' butcher paper chart morphed into a huge digital spreadsheet. Cell by cell, it documented the traumatic stories of more than 150 couples in 24 states and dozens of birth mothers from Detroit. Many of these couples kept good records.

By early November, Agent Sluss and the U.S. Attorney's Office had enough evidence for a search warrant. On November 9th, multiple FBI agents drove to a middle-class neighborhood in New Haven, a semi-rural suburb north of Detroit, and parked their unmarked cars in front of Tara Lee's two-story house.

By early November, Agent Sluss and the U.S. Attorney's Office had enough evidence for a search warrant. On November 9th, multiple FBI agents drove to a middle-class neighborhood in New Haven, a semi-rural suburb north of Detroit, and parked their unmarked cars in front of Tara Lee's two-story house.

By early November, Agent Sluss and the U.S. Attorney's Office had enough evidence for a search warrant. On November 9th, multiple FBI agents drove to a middle-class neighborhood in New Haven, a semi-rural suburb north of Detroit, and parked their unmarked cars in front of Tara Lee's two-story house.

someone connected to the Facebook group, whose name remains private, had been tipped off about the raid. They parked out front too, their cell phone camera aimed at the door. Three, two, one. The agents got out and went in. She was there. As the FBI went in, the person secretly recording the raid from her car began posting snippets of video to the Facebook group. Word traveled fast.

someone connected to the Facebook group, whose name remains private, had been tipped off about the raid. They parked out front too, their cell phone camera aimed at the door. Three, two, one. The agents got out and went in. She was there. As the FBI went in, the person secretly recording the raid from her car began posting snippets of video to the Facebook group. Word traveled fast.

someone connected to the Facebook group, whose name remains private, had been tipped off about the raid. They parked out front too, their cell phone camera aimed at the door. Three, two, one. The agents got out and went in. She was there. As the FBI went in, the person secretly recording the raid from her car began posting snippets of video to the Facebook group. Word traveled fast.