11-09-2010, 04:31 PM
Orlando Sentinel
A 21-year-old Bradenton mother who authorities say abandoned her baby and agreed to let her own mother sell him for $10,000 has been arrested as a principal to the illegal sale of a child, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced today.
Stephanie Bigbee-Fleming, also known as Stephannie Bigbee-Davis, Stephanie Bigbee-Davis and Stephanie Bigbee Davis Fleming, is being held in the Manatee County Jail without bail. She was planning to use money from the sale to buy a car and pay court costs and fines in another criminal case, authorities said.
Bigbee-Fleming's mother, Patti Sharree Bigbee, also known as Patty Bigbee, was arrested Friday night in Daytona Beach when she tried to exchange Aidan Fleming, now 11 weeks old, for $30,000, investigators said. She apparently was trying to rip off her daughter by telling her the sale price was $10,000, arrest papers show. Bigbee, 45, of Holly Hill, told her daughter she planned to keep only $1,000 for herself, paperwork shows.
Bigbee and her boyfriend, Lawrence Works, 42, were arrested on charges of illegal sale or surrender of a child. Bigbee also is charged with communication fraud.
Investigators said Works was in on the financial negotiations, allowed his cell phone to be used to broker the transaction and placed some of the baby's belongings, including a stroller, blankets, food and clothes, in a car he thought belonged to the woman "buying" the child. In fact, the car was an undercover agent's.
The deal began when Bigbee in July contacted another daughter, whom she had given up for adoption in 1983, on Facebook, arrest documents show. The two hadn't been in contact since the adoption.
The daughter, Danielle Skiver, 27, of Hillsborough County, told Bigbee that she wanted more children, law officers said. Bigbee said she didn't want to take care of Aidan and offered him to Skiver and her husband, who live in Hillsborough County, records show. Eventually, Bigbee said she wanted $75,000 for the boy but later came down to $60,000, $50,000 and finally $30,000, papers show.
The deal was consummated Friday night in a Best Buy parking lot on International Speedway Boulevard, where Skiver came with an undercover agent. Bigbee asked Skiver for a $30,000 cashier's check made out to her, arrest papers show.
Agents are investigating what role, if any, a man thought to be Aidan's father played in the scheme. Bigbee told agents that he wants more children with Bigbee-Fleming so they can earn more money, they said.
His criminal history includes convictions for aggravated assault with a weapon, domestic battery and child cruelty with physical and/or mental injury, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said.
Bigbee-Fleming will be extradited to Orange County to face a violation-of-probation charge. She is on probation for a 2008 conviction in a felony organized-fraud case. It's unclear what the violation is, but Bigbee-Davis' address on probation documents is listed as Daytona Beach. People on probation cannot move without court permission.
Aidan is in the custody of the state Department of Children and Families.
A 21-year-old Bradenton mother who authorities say abandoned her baby and agreed to let her own mother sell him for $10,000 has been arrested as a principal to the illegal sale of a child, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced today.
Stephanie Bigbee-Fleming, also known as Stephannie Bigbee-Davis, Stephanie Bigbee-Davis and Stephanie Bigbee Davis Fleming, is being held in the Manatee County Jail without bail. She was planning to use money from the sale to buy a car and pay court costs and fines in another criminal case, authorities said.
Bigbee-Fleming's mother, Patti Sharree Bigbee, also known as Patty Bigbee, was arrested Friday night in Daytona Beach when she tried to exchange Aidan Fleming, now 11 weeks old, for $30,000, investigators said. She apparently was trying to rip off her daughter by telling her the sale price was $10,000, arrest papers show. Bigbee, 45, of Holly Hill, told her daughter she planned to keep only $1,000 for herself, paperwork shows.
Bigbee and her boyfriend, Lawrence Works, 42, were arrested on charges of illegal sale or surrender of a child. Bigbee also is charged with communication fraud.
Investigators said Works was in on the financial negotiations, allowed his cell phone to be used to broker the transaction and placed some of the baby's belongings, including a stroller, blankets, food and clothes, in a car he thought belonged to the woman "buying" the child. In fact, the car was an undercover agent's.
The deal began when Bigbee in July contacted another daughter, whom she had given up for adoption in 1983, on Facebook, arrest documents show. The two hadn't been in contact since the adoption.
The daughter, Danielle Skiver, 27, of Hillsborough County, told Bigbee that she wanted more children, law officers said. Bigbee said she didn't want to take care of Aidan and offered him to Skiver and her husband, who live in Hillsborough County, records show. Eventually, Bigbee said she wanted $75,000 for the boy but later came down to $60,000, $50,000 and finally $30,000, papers show.
The deal was consummated Friday night in a Best Buy parking lot on International Speedway Boulevard, where Skiver came with an undercover agent. Bigbee asked Skiver for a $30,000 cashier's check made out to her, arrest papers show.
Agents are investigating what role, if any, a man thought to be Aidan's father played in the scheme. Bigbee told agents that he wants more children with Bigbee-Fleming so they can earn more money, they said.
His criminal history includes convictions for aggravated assault with a weapon, domestic battery and child cruelty with physical and/or mental injury, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said.
Bigbee-Fleming will be extradited to Orange County to face a violation-of-probation charge. She is on probation for a 2008 conviction in a felony organized-fraud case. It's unclear what the violation is, but Bigbee-Davis' address on probation documents is listed as Daytona Beach. People on probation cannot move without court permission.
Aidan is in the custody of the state Department of Children and Families.