“It seems premeditated:” More intended parents say Houston company stole surrogacy funds, FBI seeks victims

HOUSTON – A Houston-based company is accused of stealing millions of dollars from intended parents for surrogacy and more alleged victims are coming forward, claiming they were caught in the middle of the scheme.

Surrogacy Escrow Account Management, LLC (SEAM) and its owner Dominique Side face mounting allegations of theft as lawyers linked to a civil lawsuit tell KPRC 2 reporter Bryce Newberry that other victims have contacted the Egypt, China and France.

“When people turn to surrogacy, it’s not a choice. It’s not like, ‘Oh, this is my first choice. I want to do this.’ It’s like I don’t really have any other option,” said Arielle Mitton, an expectant mother from Bellingham, Washington.

She is the fourth alleged victim to publicly share her story with KPRC 2, but the lawsuit claims hundreds of families were affected.

Mitton suffers from secondary infertility, which is why she and her husband chose the surrogacy route for their fourth child, due in December.

“I think it will complete our family,” Mitton said.

But she is part of a growing list of intended parents who say SEAM, which was recommended, stole money from their escrow accounts that should have gone to paying their surrogates.

Mitton’s Indiana surrogate hasn’t been paid since early May and at last check, her escrow account with SEAM contained more than $38,000.

She was unable to access the SEAM online portal to obtain an updated number.

According to a complaint filed in Harris County, SEAM and Side defrauded their clients into a fiduciary relationship before deleting their social media accounts and taking down business websites earlier this month.

According to the lawsuit, approximately $10 million in escrow funds disappeared, and may have been misappropriated by SEAM and Side for years to finance “other businesses and (a) lavish lifestyle.”

On Wednesday, KPRC 2’s Bryce Newberry knocked on the Brazoria County address where Side received the lawsuit Tuesday night, but no one answered the door.

An automated response to Side’s email claimed Wednesday that she was under “active investigation by federal authorities” and, on the advice of her attorney, “was not authorized to respond to any request.”

“It seems premeditated to me,” Mitton said. “How can someone make millions of dollars disappear without some sort of plan?”

Mitton racked up overtime at work and said she was working on a plan to pay her surrogate, which included creating a GoFundMe called Donate to Help with Surrogacy Journey After Escrow Fraud.

She’s also part of a Facebook group called SEAM Breach, which had nearly 800 members as of Wednesday evening, all of whom have been affected in one way or another.

“People are just desperate at this point,” Mitton said. “She just needs to do what’s right.”

SEAM borrowed money earlier this year using as collateral the value of the escrow fund, which is money that belongs to the intended parents. Records show the lender filed a lawsuit for defaulting on the loan.

The FBI is searching for potential SEAM victims and is looking for any information available on this website created Wednesday.