Surrogacy Scam: Surrogate Seeks Custody Amidst Allegations of Trafficking and Neglect

The Surrogacy Scam Uncovered

• 🚨 A couple, identified as 38-year-old Silvia Zang and 65-year-old Guojun Xuan, are at the center of a massive surrogacy scam involving 21 children.
• 👶 17 of the 21 children were under three years old, with most born via multiple gestational surrogates who had no genetic link to the embryos.
• ⚠️ The scam involved tricking surrogates into believing the couple wanted a second child after failed IVF attempts.

How the Scheme Unraveled

• 🏥 The investigation began in May when a hospital reported suspected abuse of a two-month-old baby.
• 📹 Surveillance footage showed a nanny shaking the infant, leading to the nanny being placed on the run.
• 🏠 Police discovered 15 children at the home and learned six more were staying with friends; all 21 were subsequently removed and placed in foster care.
• ⚖️ The couple was arrested for neglect but released, with authorities continuing to build a case.

Surrogate's Account and Suspicions

• 💬 Kayla Elliot, a surrogate who gave birth in March, shared her experience of being contacted through a Facebook group by someone named Mark Sergy.
• 📧 Elliot was told a Chinese intended parent couple was ready to proceed, leading her to connect with the couple.
• 🚩 Elliot believes trafficking is involved, citing the unusual number of children and the overall suspicious circumstances, potentially with international connections to China.

Observations of the Intended Parents

• 🗣️ Elliot met the intended father, who only spoke Mandarin, with an agency coordinator translating.
• 🥶 The intended mother, who picked up the baby, appeared cold and transactional, barely holding or looking at the infant, giving the impression she was not the mother.
• 👶 The baby was described as 100% Chinese.

Legal and Investigative Challenges

• ⚖️ Elliot is facing challenges in gaining custody of the baby, as the parents have not yet fully lost their custodial rights.
• 🤞 Her hope is to gain guardianship after the parents' trial in September.
• 🕵️ Tracy Walder, a former FBI agent, expressed shock at the couple's release given the scale of the operation.
• 🔍 Walder suspects a larger FBI financial investigation and an international trafficking investigation, given the home's setup resembling a hotel and the couple's ownership of a surrogacy agency.
• 📄 She also suggested investigating the attorneys involved in facilitating these arrangements.