Former Local Shady Surrogacy Agency Owner Arrested Again
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LOCAL SPORTS Trump trade war Belgium reaches will likely cost World Cup California’s semifinals, first dairyfarmers 3A time in 32 years 1B VOLUME 141,No. 188 FACEBOOK.COM/MODESTOBEE NEWSALL DAY. Sunny and hot STAY CONNECTED MODBEE.COM TWITTER.COM/MODBEE YOUR WAY. SATURDAY JULY72018 $1 97°/65° See 2A threemonthsinfederal prison. Failure to The courtalso ordered Collins to pay restitution to the victims Former local shady and issuedaforfeiture judg- reform menttothe federalgovernment. Federal prosecutors have said could put that from November 2006 surrogacy agency through March 2009 Collins carried out aschemetodefraud Trump’s prospective parents, surrogates and banksthrough her compa- wall at risk owner arrested again ny, SurroGenesis, and the asso- ciatedMichaelCharlesInde- pendent Financial Holding In February 2013,Collins Group. BY KATE IRBY Tonya Collins being held in Fresno pleadedguiltytofour counts of Collins lived in Modesto until [email protected] on suspicion of violating parole wire fraud after bilking would- 2008,when she moved to Col- be parents out of more than $2 leyville, Texas. SurroGenesis WASHINGTON million.Victims from as far continued to operate in Modes- Failed Republicanefforts U.S.Marshal’sOfficers on away as Germany lost money, to; concerns were raised in on immigration reform could BY ROSALIO AHUMADA Monday arrested Collins on some of them their life savings. 2009 by would-be parents when jeopardize support within the [email protected] suspicion of violating parole. Many went into debttofinance payments to the surrogates party for President Donald Her parole officer saysCollins their dream of havingchildren. stopped. Trump’s wall funding–and Awoman who was convicted committed aseriesofviolations, Authorities said Collins spent The couples and surrogates Trump has threatened to shut of taking more than $2 million including drivinginthe Bay the money on automobiles, the agency representedcame down the government if he fromclients of her Modesto- Areafor the Lyft ride-sharing homes,jewelry, clothingand from across California and the doesn’tget it. based surrogacy agency six service, according to documents vacations for herself and others nation, as wellasEurope and Republicanswho pushed a years ago has been arrested filedinfederal court for the At the time,she facedamaxi- China. bill thatwouldhave granted a again.Tonya Ann Collins is Eastern District of California. mum sentence of 20 years in Collins is scheduled to return pathwaytocitizenship for accused of violatingparole four Collins,42, on Friday was federalprison. to federalcourt in Fresno on Dreamers months after she was released beingheld at the Fresno County But in May,2013,she was along with $25 from federal prison. Jail. sentenced to five years and SEE SURROGACY, 2A billion in bor- der security gave arange of answerswhen McClatchy asked if they Rep. Jeff would still Denham supportfund- ing the wall withoutaction for Dreamers. Their bill failed last week by a large margin. But oneleaderinthat ef- fort, California Republican Rep. Jeff Denham, who took a 30-second pausebefore an- sweringthe question, said it does put his voteatrisk. “I’ve been very clear that I want apermanent fix for Dreamers ... thathas to be a part of any solution,” Den- ham told McClatchy, refer- ring to people who came into the country illegally as chil- dren with their parents. “There are alarge number of us that feel very strongly that we negotiatedingood faith to find asolutiononthe border,aswell as asolution for Dreamers,” he added. “And Ithinkboth the presi- dent as well as the majority need to prove how they can find afix.” Congress has to approve the nextbudgetinSeptember to avoidagovernment shut- down. Afterapproving the last budget,which included JOAN BARNETTLEE [email protected] $1.6 billion for bordersecuri- DonPedroReservoir,which has approximately 160miles of shoreline, is shown at the Fleming Meadows Recreation Area . ty instead of the $25billion Trump said he wanted, Trump railedagainst the industry,the economy,ground- budget beingabad deal for water and the quality of life. Republicans, and saidifthe Joblosses, farm cuts and other The state’s Bay-Delta plan wall fundingwas not in the could take as much as 50 per- next budgethewouldn’t sign cent of February-to-Juneriver it. devastating impacts predicted flows in some yearsand 30 White House staff have percent in others, depending on since walkedback that state- whether there are agreements ment, though Trump hasn’t from state’swater plan with localwater users for im- personally, so it remains un- proving conditions for fisheries. clear if he would be willing to Amajor goal in the plan — trigger ashutdown. whichappears headed for a Democrats are unlikely to BY KEN CARLSON battleinthe courts —isre- supportabudgetwith such [email protected] storing severely depletedsalm- funding. on migrations in the Stanislaus, “The president’s $25billion final state waterboard Tuolumne and Mercedrivers. wall requestisimmoral and plan releasedFriday “The San Francisco Bay-Delta unwise,and has bipartisan came as no surprise to is an ecosystem in crisis,” State opposition,” DrewHammill, local irrigation districts WaterBoard Chairwoman Fel- spokesman for Minority andA county and cityofficials icia Marcus said in releasing the Leader Nancy Pelosi,D-Cali- battling what they call astate proposal for balancing interests fornia, told McClatchyFriday. water grab. in the delta. It will replace a If everyHouse Democrat The State Water Resources 20-year-old guide that the state voted against the budget, 22 Control Board wants dams such says is woefully outdated.. Republicanswouldhave to as Don Pedro to release 40 Officials in Stanislaus County join them to defeat it. There percent of natural river flows to warned the loss of waterrights were 25 Republicanswho the Sacramento-San Joaquin will resultinthousands of acres supported an effort to force a Delta to address what the state of fallowedfarmland, over- vote on apathway to citizen- calls an “ecologicalcrisis.” drafted groundwater and spikes ship for Dreamers, but many Farmers in the Northern San in unemploymentfor aregion of thosemembers are un- Joaquin Valley,along with Mo- with an historic reliance on willing to say whetherthey desto and Turlock irrigation JOAN BARNETTLEE [email protected] water stored in Sierra reservoirs. would risk another politically districts, business leaders and ModestoresidentLouise Alberti, center, listens during apresentation Localagencies organized in elected officials expect devas- by the StateWater BoardinModestoonthe proposal to boost flows SEE IMMIGRATION, 5A tatingimpacts to the agriculture on the Stanislaus,Tuolumne and Merced rivers. SEE WATER PLAN, 5A CUSTOMER SERVICE Classified Local Opinion To subscribe or reportdeliveryissues, 6B 3A 8A Comics 5B Lottery 2A Sports 1B 800-776-4233ormodbee.com/customer-service Horoscope 4B Obituaries 6A TV 6B SATURDAY JULY72018 5A MODBEE.COM Local pole west of Keyes, ac- AROUND THE REGION Authorities release names in cording to the Coroner's MODESTO Office. The deadly What: NativeSons of the Golden West ModestoParlor #11 single-vehicle crash oc- When: Wednesday, 6to8p.m. StanislausCountyfatalcrashes Where: Perko’s Cafe,901 CarpenterRoad curred about 11:30 p.m. Info: No-host dinner will featurethe historyofCalifornia. Any along Central Avenue, just person born in California is eligible and welcome to join theNative land Avenue, according to was driving the Ford north of East Taylor Road. Sons.The goal of the NativeSonsisthe preservation and sharing of BY ROSALIO AHUMADA the Stanislaus County about 45 to 50 mph at an The CHP reported that California’s history. Forinformation contact Jim Atherstone at [email protected] Coroner's Office. unknown distance behind Gilstrap was heading 209-993-7971. Hendrickson was driving the Scion, according to the north when the Pontiac What: South ModestoMunicipal AdvisoryCouncil Authorities on Friday aScion and heading east in CHP. The Scion was drifted off the rural road When: Thursday, July 12, 6pm. released the names of two the rural area north of pushed into the west- and crashed with the Where: HartRansom ElementarySchool, 3930 ShoemakeAve. people who died in crash- Oakdale. The California bound lane, where it was utility pole. The Pontiac Info: Meeting will featurereports from the CHP,Sheriff’s Office, es this week, including a Highway Patrol reported struck by aChevrolet continued in anortheast- Stanislaus County BoardofSupervisors Jim Dimartini and other woman in acar that was that she was on Highway driven by Mikochobi Ar- erly direction into acorn local agencies.Special presentations will be made upon request.For moreinformation email at [email protected]. crushed by two vehicles 120and slowed to turn poika, 24, of Oakdale. field, where it overturned. just north of Oakdale. north onto Cleveland Ave- Charles Gilstrap, 26, of Gilstrap, who was not What: Operation 9-2-99 River Cleanup Event Wanda Hendrickson, nue, when her car was Oakdale died late wearing aseatbelt, was When: Saturday, July 14,8a.m. to 11 a.m. 71,died at the scene of a rear-ended by aFord. Wednesday, when the ejected from the vehicle Where: River Road and SeventhStreet crash Tuesday night at Before the crash, Nath- 1998 Pontiac he was driv- and was pronounced dead Info: Volunteers should wear sturdy shoes,gloves, ahat and Highway 120 and Cleve- an Flores, 39, of Modesto, ing crashed into a utility at the scene, the CHP said. layeredclothing. Aliabilitywaiver must be filled out prior to volun- teering.