A woman, aged 62 and a mother of 13, is facing allegations of orchestrating a deceptive plan to expand her family without her husband’s knowledge. MaryBeth Lewis is confronted with 30 criminal charges for supposedly forging her husband’s signature and posing as him during a virtual court session to clandestinely pursue two additional children through surrogacy. While maintaining her innocence, she has confessed to the deception in a revealing interview, expressing frustration over facing numerous felonies.
Having already raised a sizeable family, MaryBeth, a 68-year-old nurse, had a history of welcoming multiple children, including twins and daughters with her husband. As their biological options dwindled, the couple resorted to using donor sperm and eggs to conceive more children. Despite warnings from medical professionals about the risks associated with further pregnancies, MaryBeth was determined to have more children, leading her to allegedly orchestrate an intricate surrogacy scheme.
In a web of lies, MaryBeth admitted to tricking an IVF clinic into impregnating a surrogate with embryos created through donor eggs and sperm, all without her husband’s approval. By impersonating her husband during a crucial court hearing, she managed to push forward with her plan, eventually resulting in the birth of their 14th and 15th children. However, the twins were placed in foster care due to the ongoing legal turmoil surrounding the alleged fraud.
Following a police report by her husband and subsequent investigations, the Lewises were embroiled in a legal battle for custody of the twins. While they were eventually declared the legal parents, they are still fighting to gain custody of their newborn twins, currently in the care of a foster family. This incident is not the first time MaryBeth has been accused of conceiving without her husband’s full consent, highlighting a pattern of deception in their family planning.
MaryBeth has denied all charges and is scheduled to appear in court on November 7 to address the allegations against her.