Last updated 2018 10 19
The last article identified here states that “Viola Trevino’s plea bargain begins the final chapter of a case that made national headlines.” That statement is most likely not true, because Shelly and Steve Barreras have not yet and most likely never will be reimbursed for the $20,000 in child support they paid for a virtual child, a child that never was. Yet, that is not on account of inability to pay by the major culprit in the case of one of the worst cases of known paternity fraud ever aided and abetted by a criminal, in this case the State of New Mexico.
The information on this page was copied from the website of Fathers for Life, from the web page that contains advice to men.
…The lesson to be learned from these stories is that if you are in Court to dispute child support obligations or custody issues, first of all make sure that the children are yours; and ideally make sure of that long before the case winds up in court. Do it right after the birth of the child. Still, that won’t help much in a case like the following one.
Woman created a “virtual child”, a child that never existed in reality but did exist on forged documents, still, the alleged father had to pay
…first wife Viola Trevino gave new meaning to Paternity Fraud when she created a “virtual daughter” based on a DNA sample from her ex-husband’s adult daughter. With the help of accomplices, she created a Child that Never Existed but that came complete with a Birth Certificate, a Social Security Card, a Medicare Card, and a judicial claim for child support that reached the sum of $20,000.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE – ONE BILLBOARD AT A TIME
By Gordon E. Finley, Ph.D.
November 16, 2006
NewsWithViews.com
Full Story
See also an earlier related story:
Agency culpable in child-support scam
by Wendy McElroy, Dec. !7, 2004
Last week, Viola Trevino carried her 5-year-old “daughter” into an Albuquerque (search) court to satisfy a judge’s demand to produce the child.
Complications arose.
One: Trevino had kidnapped the child moments before to pass off as her daughter.
Two: the “real” daughter never existed.
Three: the “father” and ex-husband Steve Barreras had paid $20,000 in child support.
Four: the system finally noticed Trevino was lying. (Full Story at foxnew.com)
Update 2008 08 01:
KOAT.com
Woman Accused Of Creating Fake Child Makes Plea Deal
Viola Trevino Enters Pleas For 13 Of 24 Felony Counts
August 1, 2008
The Albuquerque woman accused of creating a fictitious child to obtain government benefits and child support appeared in court Friday.
Viola Trevino’s plea bargain begins the final chapter of a case that made national headlines.
Trevino is accused of faking the existence of a child, then bilking the government out of thousands in benefits and her former husband out of tens of thousands in child support….
The plot included fictitious DNA tests and even a baby taken off the street for an appearance in family court….(Full Story)
Note: It will be interesting to see whether Steve Barreras and his wife Shelly will be getting the $20,000 back (with interest, of course) from the State of New Mexico that the State extorted from them for a child that Steve and Shelly [and the State of New Mexico] knew right from the start he could not have fathered. Steve had undergone a vasectomy before he could possibly have fathered the child he was supposed to have fathered. — WHS
See also:
- UNFPA : Family breakdown human rights triumph
- Fighting for child custody
- From Welfare State to Police State
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Jack, thanks for posting that comment.
You are quite right, when it comes to paternity fraud, *crime pays* for the perpetrator of the crime. That principle of “justice” is quite firmly embedded in the law. It is a principle that is based on the false assertion that women don’t lie.
The reality of that is quite different.
Quote:
The following is from a discussion that resulted from a 2003 BBC News article on the causes of divorce.
“Thank you. That one never made the headlines; and I bet that their sex lives is the only thing that women ever lie about. Any takers? Ha, ha, ha…”
The New Scientist article (link follows) exposes the current BBC News article as a piece of propagandistic hype. It identifies that women are just as likely as men are to philander; and that makes sense.
“The researchers think the results explain the previously reported differences in men and women’s sexual behaviour, with women being afraid of getting labelled as “whores”.
“We live in a culture that really does expect a different pattern of sexual behaviour from women than it does from men,” says Fisher. (Full Story: http://fathersforlife.org/divorce/women_do_not_lie.htm#sex_lies )
–end quote
The problem with all of that is that the judicial system is doing the best it can to support and promote the myth that women are truthful angels who must be protected at all costs.
–Walter
jd123
says:Hello,
I and my oldest child (as well as my family and the biological father’s family) have been the victims of paternity fraud. My complete story is on file at home, but I’ll try to summarize the key points.
The key issue to me is that this is the only crime I can think of where, after the crime has been uncovered, everyone suffers except the perpetrator, who also stands to actually come away a RICHER PERSON.
Society has to address the key concepts of the child’s rights when it is not of an age to protect itself (he or she). That is most particularly important at the moment of its birth. Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Canada has signed on to, every child has the right to be raised by its parents. No woman or man has the right to arbitrarily abrogate the child’s rights under the law. Provincial Vital Statistics acts speak to this issue also.
Society understands that if you beat a person, you must be punished
– if you cheat on your taxes, you must be punished
– if you speed too many times you must be punished
But we have NOT addressed the serious issues associated with this type of fraud. When a father finds out (as I did), he is usually attacked, called an extortionist, has to DEFEND himself against an onslaught, and the courts refuse to supply a remedy. The ex wife can quite literally ignore any request for ANY apology, legal remedy etc and the courts allow it.
Mandatory DNA testing upon birth is the answer. If not, the father’s name should be left blank on any official or government records and the mother and ‘father’ should be informed that if they want the legal record (Vital Statistics, etc) to register the ‘father’, he and the child must undergo a DNA test TO PROTECT THE CHILD. If it is shown the ‘father’ is NOT the father, he would then have the right to proceed wuthin the context of the law only! If he wants to ‘stand in the role’ (loco parentis) it would require an adoption, in consultation with the biological father and the appropriate government agencies so that the facts were on the table and what is truly ‘best’ for the child can be determined, NOT THE MOTHERS ARBITRARY INSERTION OF THE FATHER FIGURE. The child would be raised knowing (when the time was appropriate) that he / she has been adopted and would not have to undergo the shock of finding out at a later time, and of seeing the upheaval in the lives of those around him. The biological father would also have the rights and responsibilities associated with parentage of a biological child. Health issues pertaining to biology / blood lines / inherited illnesses would also be more readily apparent, and this also speaks to the safety of the child and his/her best interests.
Point is, not only is the mother secure in knowing that she can NEVER BE PUNISHED, but by choosing the more financially well off of the available dupes, she actually stands to gain financially WHILE THOSE AROUND HER SUFFER!!!
Regards,
Jack