It is reported that in West Palm Beach, FL a woman named Judith Leekin received nearly $2 million dollars in welfare payments as she starved, tied up, and abused the children she adopted. She treated the children like prisoners and handcuffed them together. Currently, she has a $4.5 million dollar bail and 11 charges, including counts of aggravated child abuse, false identification and witness tampering, as well as four counts of aggravated abuse of a disabled adult.

Leekin used fake aliases to adopt the 11 children and received welfare payments to different addresses and bank accounts. She received nearly $2 million dollars since 1993 until recently. People who adopt special needs children can receive about $55 per day until the child turns 21.

Leekin was found out when an 18 year old woman was found wandering around in a grocery store 200 miles from Leekin’s home and she told the police that Leekin had adopted her 13 years ago and abandoned her at the store that day.