Peter McDonald

Many of the couples Tara Lee had defrauded signed on to watch the raid in real time.

Many of the couples Tara Lee had defrauded signed on to watch the raid in real time.

Many of the couples Tara Lee had defrauded signed on to watch the raid in real time.

Courtney Edmond watched from her kitchen in Colorado Springs. She'd been through two failed adoptions with Tara Lee and had slept in the house that was being raided. Teresa Matheny, who'd driven from Atlanta to Detroit in a panic to save her adoption, watched too.

Courtney Edmond watched from her kitchen in Colorado Springs. She'd been through two failed adoptions with Tara Lee and had slept in the house that was being raided. Teresa Matheny, who'd driven from Atlanta to Detroit in a panic to save her adoption, watched too.

Courtney Edmond watched from her kitchen in Colorado Springs. She'd been through two failed adoptions with Tara Lee and had slept in the house that was being raided. Teresa Matheny, who'd driven from Atlanta to Detroit in a panic to save her adoption, watched too.

While Courtney watched, she was holding a baby she'd just adopted from another agency.

While Courtney watched, she was holding a baby she'd just adopted from another agency.

While Courtney watched, she was holding a baby she'd just adopted from another agency.

That's Heather Catallo, an investigative reporter for WXYZ Channel 7, a popular TV news station in Detroit. Heather didn't know who owned the house and why the FBI was there. She just knew that whoever lived there was being investigated for fraud. And she wanted to find out why.

That's Heather Catallo, an investigative reporter for WXYZ Channel 7, a popular TV news station in Detroit. Heather didn't know who owned the house and why the FBI was there. She just knew that whoever lived there was being investigated for fraud. And she wanted to find out why.

That's Heather Catallo, an investigative reporter for WXYZ Channel 7, a popular TV news station in Detroit. Heather didn't know who owned the house and why the FBI was there. She just knew that whoever lived there was being investigated for fraud. And she wanted to find out why.

The FBI hauled out box after box from Tara Lee's home, but they were most interested in one small item. A sophisticated criminal who needs to communicate with their victims or associates might use a burner phone, text in code, use a pseudonym, and delete everything. Tara Lee's fraud depended on communication, and she'd saved everything.

The FBI hauled out box after box from Tara Lee's home, but they were most interested in one small item. A sophisticated criminal who needs to communicate with their victims or associates might use a burner phone, text in code, use a pseudonym, and delete everything. Tara Lee's fraud depended on communication, and she'd saved everything.

The FBI hauled out box after box from Tara Lee's home, but they were most interested in one small item. A sophisticated criminal who needs to communicate with their victims or associates might use a burner phone, text in code, use a pseudonym, and delete everything. Tara Lee's fraud depended on communication, and she'd saved everything.

Every text change she'd monitored, every sketchy or fictitious update she'd sent to anxious adoptive parents, every credit card payment she received on an app was visible on her iPhone. When Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Woodward read through it, she saw the individual strands in Tara Lee's web of fraud.

Every text change she'd monitored, every sketchy or fictitious update she'd sent to anxious adoptive parents, every credit card payment she received on an app was visible on her iPhone. When Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Woodward read through it, she saw the individual strands in Tara Lee's web of fraud.

Every text change she'd monitored, every sketchy or fictitious update she'd sent to anxious adoptive parents, every credit card payment she received on an app was visible on her iPhone. When Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Woodward read through it, she saw the individual strands in Tara Lee's web of fraud.

She also saw how Tara Lee used her personality to bamboozle people.

She also saw how Tara Lee used her personality to bamboozle people.