An Oregon woman who defrauded two couples, including Pete and Cheniya Beres of Port Townsend, out of thousands of dollars in a surrogate mother scam, has been released from jail after agreeing to a plea bargain.
Audrey Magallon, 31, of Astoria, pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of second-degree theft, one count of identity theft and two counts of computer crime, said assistant Clatsop County Assistant District Attorney Scott McCracken.
Under Oregon sentencing guidelines, Magallon, who had no previous criminal record, was sentenced to 20 days in jail with credit for time served, McCracken said.
She had been in jail since her arrest Oct. 17.
She also will be under supervised probation for a total of 38 months and is prohibited from contacting her victims, who she met over the Internet, offering to bear each a child.
She reported herself pregnant and received more than $5,000 from each toward a total $10,000 they were each asked to pay for the service.
“We’re not exactly sure where the money went,” McCracken said. “She just said she’d spent it.”
Magallon, who is married, has at least four known children and claimed to have given birth to three others as a surrogate.
She also was ordered by the court to undergo a mental health evaluation, McCracken said.
She is prohibited from owning a computer or using the Internet and is required to make restitution to her victims for the full amount they paid her.
Her children have been in state custody since her arrest, McCracken said.
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Julie McCormick is a freelance writer and photographer living in Port Townsend. E-mail her at juliemccormick10!@gmail.com.
