Maricopa County assessor indicted on adoption fraud charges

PHOENIX (AP) — The assessor of Arizona’s largest county has been indicted in an adoption fraud scheme.
The Arizona Republic reports the Arizona Attorney General’s Office has confirmed the 32-count federal indictment Tuesday against Maricopa County Assessor Paul Petersen for conspiracy, theft, forgery and 29 counts of fraudulent schemes.
Authorities say Petersen has for years run an adoption law practice in Mesa that involves bringing women from the Marshall Islands to the U.S.