U.S. v. Eason

Record contained sufficient evidence to support jury’s guilty verdict on kidnapping charges arising out of defendant’s efforts to falsely tell adopted parents of two minor children that she was qualified to take care of said children and that social workers had recommended defendant for care of foster children, when in fact defendant’s parental rights to her own two children had been terminated due to allegations of abuse and neglect. Record also showed that defendant and her husband had sexually fondled said children, and that defendant had returned said children to their adoptive parents only after said parents had grown suspicious of defendant. Ct. rejected defendant’s argument that govt. had failed to prove instant kidnapping charge, where, according to defendant: (1) adoptive parents of said children had been “inveigled” as contemplated under 18 USC section 1201, rather than said children; and (2) section 1201 requires inveigled person to be same person who was kidnapped. Ct. further rejected defendant’s claim that she did not “hold” said children where parents had voluntarily given them to her, after Ct. noted that defendant had obtained custody of said children through false claims.