{"data":{"id":"us-ar/ark.-code-ann.-5-37-216","jurisdiction":"us-ar","citation":"Ark. Code Ann. § 5-37-216","heading":"Defrauding a prospective adoptive parent","body":"(a) As used in this section: (1) \"Aggregate financial benefit\" means the total financial benefit received by a person preceding, during, and after the pregnancy of the person; (2) \"Financial benefit\" means any cost for prenatal, delivery, or postnatal care, including without limitation reasonable costs for: (A) Housing; (B) Food; (C) Clothing; (D) Medical expenses; or (E) General maintenance; and (3) \"Prospective adoptive parent\" means a person who through his or her actions has a stated or unstated intention to begin the process of adopting a minor, whether or not the minor is known to him or her. (b) A person commits the offense of defrauding a prospective adoptive parent if he or she: (1) Knowingly obtains a financial benefit from a prospective adoptive parent or from an agent of a prospective adoptive parent with a purpose to defraud the prospective adoptive parent or the agent of the prospective adoptive parent of the financial benefit; and (2) Does not: (A) Consent to the adoption; or (B) Complete the adoption process. (c) Defrauding a prospective adoptive parent is a: (1) Class B felony if: (A) The aggregate financial benefit is two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) or more; or (B) The person has previously been convicted under this section; (2) Class C felony if the aggregate financial benefit is five hundred dollars ($500) or more but less than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500); or (3) Class A misdemeanor if the aggregate financial benefit is less than five hundred dollars ($500). Acts 2011, No. 697, § 1.\n\n(a) As used in this section: (1) \"Aggregate financial benefit\" means the total financial benefit received by a person preceding, during, and after the pregnancy of the person; (2) \"Financial benefit\" means any cost for prenatal, delivery, or postnatal care, including without limitation reasonable costs for: (A) Housing; (B) Food; (C) Clothing; (D) Medical expenses; or (E) General maintenance; and (3) \"Prospective adoptive parent\" means a person who through his or her actions has a stated or unstated intention to begin the process of adopting a minor, whether or not the minor is known to him or her.\n\n(1) \"Aggregate financial benefit\" means the total financial benefit received by a person preceding, during, and after the pregnancy of the person;\n\n(2) \"Financial benefit\" means any cost for prenatal, delivery, or postnatal care, including without limitation reasonable costs for: (A) Housing; (B) Food; (C) Clothing; (D) Medical expenses; or (E) General maintenance; and\n\n(A) Housing;\n\n(B) Food;\n\n(C) Clothing;\n\n(D) Medical expenses; or\n\n(E) General maintenance; and\n\n(3) \"Prospective adoptive parent\" means a person who through his or her actions has a stated or unstated intention to begin the process of adopting a minor, whether or not the minor is known to him or her.\n\n(b) A person commits the offense of defrauding a prospective adoptive parent if he or she: (1) Knowingly obtains a financial benefit from a prospective adoptive parent or from an agent of a prospective adoptive parent with a purpose to defraud the prospective adoptive parent or the agent of the prospective adoptive parent of the financial benefit; and (2) Does not: (A) Consent to the adoption; or (B) Complete the adoption process.\n\n(1) Knowingly obtains a financial benefit from a prospective adoptive parent or from an agent of a prospective adoptive parent with a purpose to defraud the prospective adoptive parent or the agent of the prospective adoptive parent of the financial benefit; and\n\n(2) Does not: (A) Consent to the adoption; or (B) Complete the adoption process.\n\n(A) Consent to the adoption; or\n\n(B) Complete the adoption process.\nobtains a financial benefit from a prospective adoptive parent or from an agent of a prospective adoptive parent with a purpose to defraud the prospective adoptive parent or the agent of the prospective adoptive parent of the financial benefit; and\n\n(2) Does not: (A) Consent to the adoption; or (B) Complete the adoption process.\n\n(A) Consent to the adoption; or\n\n(B) Complete the adoption process.\n\n(c) Defrauding a prospective adoptive parent is a: (1) Class B felony if: (A) The aggregate financial benefit is two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) or more; or (B) The person has previously been convicted under this section; (2) Class C felony if the aggregate financial benefit is five hundred dollars ($500) or more but less than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500); or (3) Class A misdemeanor if the aggregate financial benefit is less than five hundred dollars ($500).\n\n(1) Class B felony if: (A) The aggregate financial benefit is two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) or more; or (B) The person has previously been convicted under this section;\n\n(A) The aggregate financial benefit is two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) or more; or\n\n(B) The person has previously been convicted under this section;\n\n(2) Class C felony if the aggregate financial benefit is five hundred dollars ($500) or more but less than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500); or\n\n(3) Class A misdemeanor if the aggregate financial benefit is less than five hundred dollars ($500).","path":["AR Code","Title 5","Chapter 37","Subchapter 2"],"source_url":"https://oss-data-us.vaquill.ai/v2026.08/us_ar_statutes.parquet","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:41Z","sha256":"3bf88a5f0c2626763eea7e35be755379931f2eaf241422188a2d1e8a185f5b04","source_id":"us-ar","stale":false,"prev":"us-ar/ark.-code-ann.-5-37-215","next":"us-ar/ark.-code-ann.-5-37-217"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}