A Texas woman has pleaded guilty to schemes to procure adoptions of Ugandan and Polish children through bribery and fraud, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio. Debra Parris, 69, of Lake Dallas, Texas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and commit visa fraud in connection with the Uganda scheme, and conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with the Poland scheme.
According to court documents, Parris engaged in a scheme with others to bribe Ugandan officials to procure adoptions of Ugandan children by families in the United States. These bribes included payments to probation officers, court registrars, and High Court judges to influence the adoption process.
In her plea agreement, Parris also admitted to directing the adoption agency’s clients to work with her alleged co-conspirator Dorah Mirembe, after knowing that Mirembe caused clients of the adoption agency to provide false information to the U.S. State Department for the purpose of misleading it in its adjudication of visa applications.
Parris pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the FCPA and commit visa fraud in connection with the Uganda scheme, and conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with the Poland scheme. She is scheduled to be sentenced on March 9, 2022.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Parris’s alleged co-conspirators, Margaret Cole and Dorah Mirembe, are still at large. Trial against Cole is scheduled to commence on Feb. 7, 2022. The FBI’s Cleveland Field Office is investigating the case.
Defendant: Debra Parris
Criminal Charges: Conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and commit visa fraud, Conspiracy to defraud the United States
City and State: Lake Dallas, Texas
Exact Date: Scheduled to be sentenced on March 9, 2022
Sentence or Outcome: To be determined
Dollar Amounts: None specified
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Category: White Collar Crime|Human Trafficking|Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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