PUEBLO, Colo.—A married couple and another woman have been sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanors in what initially appeared to be negotiations over selling a baby.
The sentences, handed down Monday, stem from a case that began in February when the woman was accused of trying to sell her 5-month-old son to the couple. After an investigation, prosecutors dismissed all charges but the misdemeanors.
During the court hearing, Jose Juan Lerma, 48, his wife, Irene Lerma, 28, and Nicole Uribe-Lopez, 23, each pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of having a false document notarized to reflect that Lerma was the father of Uribe’s child.
Each of the three was sentenced to probation based on his or her plea agreement, and the baby remains with representatives of the Pueblo County Department of Social Services.
The case unfolded when Uribe was accused of trying to sell her child to the Lermas. All three adults are natives of Mexico.
Justin Hines, who was Uribe’s boyfriend but not the boy’s biological father, told the Pueblo Chieftain in a story published Tuesday that the Lermas could have provided a better life for the baby at the time.
Uribe and Hines received between $1,500 and $3,000 from the Lermas but the money was not contingent on the baby’s adoption, according to Hines and court testimony.
Prosecutor Cathy Mullens said in a statement that they lacked enough evidence to prosecute the three on charges stemming from a sale of the baby. “Today’s outcome was fair for everyone,” Mullens said.
Defense attorneys were critical of how the case was handled. “The national media fell in love with this story because they thought it was an example of Mexican nationals doing something outrageous,” Pueblo attorney Joe Koncilja said. “Now that it turned out to be nothing, they’re nowhere to be found. This is all about immigration hysteria.”
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Information from: Pueblo Chieftain
