NICKLESVILLE, Va. – A southwest Virginia woman is facing 9 felony charges after authorities say she tricked a california couple into thinking they could adopt a child.
Only problem? The baby never existed.
California residents Matt and Laura Trayte were devastated when they found out after months the baby they thought they were going to adopt wasn't real.
“Another nurse came walking up and said that must be a common name because there is someone named Elizabeth Jones but she's not pregnant. She's here for lower back pain."
Elizabeth Jones, from Nicklesville, Virginia, admits to tricking the couple into thinking she was pregnant.
WCYB spoke with her back in January.
She says if she “could take it back, absolutely."
Jones says she never took a dime from the Traytes.
“I never asked them for anything,” said Jones.
But now prosecutors disagree.
According to an indictment obtained by WCYB, Jones now faces 9 felony larceny charges.
“Our office worked with the sheriff's department. They investigated and they worked with folks to determine whether there was a crime, and they sought the indictments,” said Chuck Slemp, special prosecutor. “Now that an indictment has been issued our office will be prosecuting it."
The indictment says Jones took money and other property from the Trayte's including money spent on these professional photos they took announcing an adoption.
“She'll have an arraignment at some point and the court will assign a trial date,” said Slemp.
Jones says she's sorry for what she did, but doesn't think she should be punished.
“I don't feel like what I done was criminally wrong. Now morally? Yes. But I've never seen someone be charged with something morally,” said Jones.