Paying for non-existent child

I have heard of fathers paying child support for someone else's child, but this New Mexico story tells of a man who paid for a child that doesn't even exist!

After Barreras was hauled into court, peppered with threats and demands for money for a child he adamantly denied fathering five years ago and even paid out $20,000 to support, his ex-wife was under a judge’s order to produce the child.

So last week, Viola Trevino picked up a 2-year-old girl and her grandmother off the street, promised them a trip to see Santa Claus and $50 and took the girl to court, alleging it was her daughter. ...

The elaborate ruse stretched over five years and involved fake DNA evidence, a forged Social Security number and birth and baptismal certificates, court records show.

Last week, state District Judge Linda Vanzi ruled the child did not exist.

If a man committed fraud like that, he'd be in jail. She was only able to commit the fraud because she had the assistance of state agencies who were eager to punish men based on flimsy evidence.