Long Island Man Ran "Adoption Ponzi Scheme"

The Nassau County DA's office says that Kevin Cohen of Roslyn charged numerous couples expensive fees—one couple says they paid Cohen $65,000— to adopt children that probably never existed. Now, with 16 couples (and counting) claiming they were duped, it's being characterized as an adoption Ponzi scheme.

So far, the couples include two from Queens, four from Manhattan, six from Long Island, and others from Westchester County, Georgia and Texas. One Long Island couple says that they received sonograms and doctor's note (apparently faked by Cohen) about their "baby"; Nassau DA Kathleen Rice said, "He's a coldhearted thief. He's playing on people's emotions at a really vulnerable time for them."

It's suspected that Cohen used money from new clients to partially refund the existing clients who didn't get babies. He has pleaded not guilty to grand larceny, scheme to defraud and more.