SurroGenesis Update & Word Of Caution

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SurroGenesis Update & Word Of Caution

By Andrew Vorzimer ⋅ March 15, 2009 ⋅

Filed Under Michael Charles Company, SurroGenesis USA, Tonya Collins

Unfortunately we have very little new information on the ongoing scandal involving SurroGenesis and Michael Clark Holdings. SurroGenesis seems to still be operating and collecting donor and surrogate applications, though they have removed from their website any information on how they can be contacted. Office “locations”, phone numbers, staff listing and email addresses have been scrubbed from the site. At last count, more than 45 Intended Parents have been victimized and an untold number of surrogates and donors.

If you were working with SurroGenesis USA and/or the Michael Charles Holding Company, you need to contact attorney Sterling Johnson at 415.457.1214 or via email at sterlingjo@earthlink.net. Mr. Johnson is compiling a list of victims and providing that information to the FBI. In addition to contacting Mr. Johnson, you need to contact an independent attorney to discuss the current status of your surrogacy and/or egg donation arrangement. No matter where you might be in the process, there are steps that need to be taken to protect you and time is of the essence. If you would like a referral to an attorney who specializes in this area or would like to speak to one of our attorneys, please do not hesitate to contact us.

I also wanted to caution the victims of this tragedy to not necessarily assume that everyone affiliated with SurroGenesis was complicit in this criminal enterprise. It is not uncommon for agencies to list physicians, mental health professionals and attorneys on their website as potential resources. Often times these professionals are not even aware that their information is being shared or that their services are being promoted. It is also relatively commonplace for an agency to provide a list of local professionals for their clients to consider. Again, there is nothing inherently wrong with this practice. The real issue is whether these professionals had any financial interest in SurroGenesis, were aware of what was taking place and ignored it or had reason to suspect something was problematic and took no steps to mitigate their clients exposure. From all the information we have received, none of the outside medical, mental health or legal professionals were aware of what was taking place with the trust accounts.

Discussion

51 comments for “SurroGenesis Update & Word Of Caution”

Bridgette

Just a few questions on this Heather the former employee who seems to know everything. How long did she work for them and why is she no longer with them? Just trying to make sure she is a reliable source of information. This situation is heart breaking and hopefully will be resolved quickly for those who were wronged.
Mickey

As a victim of this, we need to let Sterling and other lawyers retained by victims (e.g. Andy), as well as the FBI, do their jobs. Tonya and anyone else working with her may read this site and be tipped off. Bridgette, you asked good questions, but Heather should go to the FBI with the answers. If she is legit, she will be a helpful witness.
Heather

Bridgette

I don’t claim to know everything. I just posted what i knew, i thought it could be helpful. I was a surrogate with SurroGenesis for 2 1/2 years, and i am no longer with them because i learned what was going on, and i could not sit there and lie to my surrogates, and IP’s and tell them everything was OK.
And i have already contacted Sterling.
Bridgette

Okay I guess I am confused then, you said you were a former employee and you knew what was going on so why did you not contact the police.
- Heather
  
  Im sorry i was not really clear in that last post. I was a Surrogate with them for 2 1/2 years, and i learn what was going on when i went to work for them. When i left i did contact the authorities…
  - Annette
    
    I think the court should order Tonya to pay State and Ferderal income tax in California and Texas, on the 2 million.
IT’S ABOUT TIME

In Heather’s defense, she is absolutely spot on with all the knowledge she has shared. I am also a former employee/surrogate of SGUSA and when I left the company I contacted the local DA’s office and was told “they could not do anything until there was a victim”. Wouldn’t it have been nice to stop her before there were any victims?!?! That seems pretty logical to me.

The reason people have the knowledge they do about SGUSA, Michael Charles and Tonya is because Tonya has an enormous mouth. She shares her life with everyone as if to brag that her life is better than everyone else around her. Her lavish lifestyle with her frivolous spending sprees and carats beyond carats of diamonds has finally caught up to her. I feel terrible for all the victims of her crime as well as her family. She has 8, yes that’s EIGHT children and an oblivious husband. There’s only one person that knows what’s going on in the conniving brain of Tonya Collins and that’s Tonya Collins…or maybe even her girlfriend. Girlfriend?!?! Who knew?! Shame on you Tonya. May you rot in hell for what you have done!
- Heather
  
  Thank you! That’s exactly what i was told by the DA, the Sheriff, and the IRS. They could not do anything about it unless i had paper proof, or there was a victim.
  
  And you are so spot on describing Tonya… I could not have said it any better…
  - undisclosed
    
    so are the two of you thinking she ran a ponzi scheme ?? ?
- Andrew Vorzimer
  
  It is very unfortunate that you received that information from law enforcement. Sometimes when dealing with law enforcement, because the only tool they have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail to them. And when they can’t find a nail, they just move on.
  
  There were other avenues available, including a civil suit and a Private Attorney General action under California law. If any good comes out of this tragic situation, it will hopefully be that people will be more aware in the future of their rights and how to protect themselves from unscrupulous individuals like Tonya Collins.
IT’S ABOUT TIME

Yes, Tonya is a piece of work. She’s a smooth talker and a convincing one at that. In all honesty, I think she may have a multiple personality disorder. I never knew which one I was talking to!
- Heather
  
  I would have to say Yes. And i have to agree Tonya is VERY good smooth talker, and very manipulating.
IT’S ABOUT TIME

Ponzi scheme…no chance. She’s smart, but not that smart. I think her greed got the best of her…simple as that.
Karen

I just stumbled across this website, I am amazed. I too was a former employee with SGUSA, all of this information that has been posted is correct. I too tried to contact authorities last year, no one took any action after a complaint was made.

Tonya is in fact a smooth talker, she can convince you (YES EVEN YOU) of anything, if you give her enough time. Although we must not forget about her girl friend, Barbara ANN Robinson. She is just as big of a crook as Tonya. Ann is more manipulative and experienced as embezzlement and things of that nature. You know she was actually a surrogate for a nameless client, she chewed tobacco up until the day she was supposed to transfer, she then chewed post transfer in front of Tonya- she allowed it. What a shame.

I could go on…shall I?
- Andrew Vorzimer
  
  Karen, any information you have now is vital as we attempt to locate potential assets we could freeze to benefit the victims of this scam. If you feel comfortable speaking to my office, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss your experiences with SurroGenesis and Tonya Collins. Alternatively, if you prefer not to take such an active role, you could simply email us any salient facts that shed light on Collins’ operations.
  
  Thank you.
  - Annette
    
    I am a witness to Tonya showing off her expenssive jewlery that she purchased when I was there a year ago. A $15,000.00 tennis braclet and other various diamond rings and necklaces. I know the purchases were done with a company who mailed the jewelery to her. I want to say New York?
- Heather
  
  You know Ann somehow made it so she got a positive pregnancy test after her transfer just so she could get her first compensation check. Ann knew she was not pregnant, they just swindled 2k out of a couple because they needed the money…
  
  This is such a shady company, and i did not realize that till after i moved myself and my kids to Modesto, to work for them…
  - Susan and Shirley Jansen
    
    Heather, we think we are the people who were told Anne Robinson was pregnant with our baby. She even sent us a picture of a test stick with “PREGNANT’ written on it. The numbers didn’t hold up and so we were bitterly disappointed to be told it was a ‘chemical pregnancy” What a heartless way to make a few bucks
- Susan and Shirley Jansen
  
  WE would so apapreciate if you did. We have a contract with Ann Robinson stating that she would use no tobacco products while carring our child. We have reason to believe we are the client who was told she was pregnant so that she could qualify for a $2,000 payment
  - Cynthia
    
    First of all Heather all you are doing is slandering somebody without proof. You worked at SurroGenesis about a month I believe or did you make it 6 weeks. Just for those not familiar no money is paid out on compensation until 2 positive beta tests come back from a lab that has drawn your blood. Unfortunately chemical pregnancies can occor and while sad it does happen. If all surrogates had to do to be paid is show a pitcure of a positive preganancy test how unlikely would that be. This witch hunt needs to stop, Ann is in no way a suspect in any of this just ask the authorities.
    - Anonymous
      
      Why are you sticking up for Ann? Please like she didn’t have anything to do with it? Were you employed with this horrible company as well? How do we not know you didn’t have anything to do with this horrible crime? I hope the people/person responsible goes to jail for a long time, what they have done to these families is unbelievable & they should be punished to full extent! The company lied to many or made up stories to cover their asses for as long as they could & now look what has happened!
  - Andrea the SGUSA (past employee-thank god!)
    
    Susan and Shirley-
    
    I personally saw Ann using chewing tobacco during the course of the injectible medication. This is no joke, she clearly violated her contract. Tonya Collins was also ok with Ann using chewing tobacco as well, she just chose not to say anything.
    
    As for you Cynthia/Cindy/ whatever you want to be called= I will just hop on my soap box for a second and be very immature. You should probably get over yourself. Although you are correct about what Heather said. You know DAMN WELL that Ann was just as involved with the money issues at MC as Tonya is or was. Ann is fully cooperating as they (tonya and ann) have an agreement as (bi sexual lovers) that Tonya will take the rap for what the two of them did. I cant hold my words from my mouth any longer. I love how you are playing victim. It amuses me, please continue!
    - Annette
      
      I also was a witness to Ann’s tobacco chewing 3 days before she was to transfer. Parents if you are out there you should consider suing Ann for breach of her surrogate contract. And as far as notifying authorities about the illegal business practices that were going on at Surrogenesis…I did contact authorities and insurance companies, provided some evidence, but no one wanted to do anything about it. Tonya’s greed did get the best of her. What’s totally pathetic is she has nothing to show for it. Ann is saying Tonya is taking the fall for her….what a joke. Just another ploy to try and make “Ann” look like anything but a low life. Tonya IS the only one you can take the fall, unless Ann embezzeld money herself….I think she just worked Tonya out of it. No loyalty amongst thieves.
  - Annette
    
    I know exactly who Ann was being a surrogate for. It was from May 2007 to November 2007, I witnessed Ann tobacco chewing and I asked Ann if she was chewing tobacco and she told me to shut up. She was transferring in a week….so whatever month that was.
- Anonymous
  
  Holy shit. Ann Robinson was the woman who contacted me, signed me up for the egg donor program over the phone, found me a couple really fast, and talked with me over the phone constantly over the course of my whole egg donation program. I had no idea she might be part of this big scandal. In fact, there was a point when my final check from MC group had bounced, and I called her to complain, and she seemed totally surprised that the funds did not go through. Weird. But eventually the check did go through, so I didn’t suspect anything at the time.
- BeenHad
  
  This ANN Robinson…is this the GS that lives in the BAY area that came to surrogacy about 7-8 years ago?
IT’S ABOUT TIME

Unfortunately, I highly doubt Tonya has any major assets aside from her many motor vehicles. She always bragged about how she paid cash for them. Now we all know how she did it. Although, she has hundreds of thousands of dollars in jewelry she purchase from her jeweler in New York (Joseph). It’s pretty safe to assume her house in Modesto is in foreclosure and she is now renting a home in Texas that her husband believes they bought. They may have to seize all of her personal property and auction it off to help pay back the victims of her crime. After all, she probably used all their money to buy everything she currently owns…as well as what Ann currently owns.

Something that I find interesting…both Tonya (Collins) and Ann (Robinson) have time to be on MySpace during such a time. They are shameless, shameless creatures.
- A. Nonny Mouse
  
  Tonya was only convincing to people who wanted to be convinced, which is why she got away with it…persons desperate to conceive a child WANT to believe. Tonya has a long history of telling multiple lies about almost anything. Although some people are saying she might have multiple personalities, I would say that she definitely has a DISORDERED personality – the way she behaves and the things she has done are not normal. Sadly, as you say, her husband was clueless. He proudly believed that Tonya was running a successful business.
  - —-
    
    Nonny Mouse,
    
    I completely agree with you. It is very sad, but I believe that James had no idea what was going on behind closed doors. How unfortunate for so many people to believe in Tonya, and for her to crush their hopes and dreams. She has ruined her family’s life, her name, and everyone that has ever had contact with the two companies.
    
    I can only imagine how scared her and Ann feel right about now. I really hope that this incident will make them better people one day. I am sure that their children will be punished more than the two individuals as I am thinking that sometime in the future Ann and Tonya will go to federal prison.
    - Lynn
      
      I too greatly worry about “Ann’s” (not even her real name, this shows just how dishonest she truly is. Her first name is Barbara)children. See her children are my nephew’s, yes this piece of white trailer trash is my EX sister inlaw, but fear not for her kids since she walked out and abandoned them over 10 years ago here in TX when she got in over her head on some kind of other scheme that went bad. She is over $20,000 behind on child support to my brother who has custody of her children and they are in a stable loving moral home, the only thing unfortunante is the fact that this witch has visitation rights on a weekly basis with them, and at some time this may all come out and someone at their school may realize they are actually related to this trash.
      
      Tonya and Barbara are obviously thinking they are too smart for the system since I just had the stomach turning opportunity to see both of them a week ago at one of the kids sporting events. I have hated that woman from the first day I layed eyes on her and would love to be the first in line to talk to local law enforcement about everything I could possible tell them that would help send her and her lover Tonya to jail forever for what they have done to these innocent victims wanting nothing more than to have a baby.
      
      She has reaped the benefits of Tonya’s and her deceptions with brand new cars, a nice house, and every luxury and convenience known to man, and if anyone actually thinks that Tonya and Barbara’s husbands were so naive they didn’t know what was going on they are still being snowed by two professional con artists.
      - Lois
        
        Can you help us figure out Tonya’s and Ann’s ties to Texas? Why did Tonya come here? What are Ann’s roots in Texas? Reporters are seeking information on Texas angles.
      - Lynn
        
        As a leveler head has prevailed over a few days, I want to go back and make amendments for some of the states I made in my previous blog, while I am not changing any of the facts stated regarding her walking out on the kids, or her and Tonya’s relationship, or her deceptions, I did get caught up in the heat of the moment and was outu of line in the names that I called her, and in stating that I hated her from the first time I met her. I had my personal reasons due to an incident that occured the first time I met her to question her stability and sincerity, but hate is a strong word and I should not have used it.
        
        I figure the proper authorities will work through all the legal issue’s involved in this, my only concern is for that of my nephew’s and brother and his family and their peace and emotional status through this whole trying time, and because of that I let my emotions dictate my prior blog with distasteful name calling and remarks, that if I could take back I would. The facts still remain the facts, but I am sorry for sinking to the level that I sank to and for the insults hurled.
      - scammed surrogate
        
        hello lynn
        so ur related to ann? im sorry to hear that…im curious as to how theyve been acting since u said that u just saw them..do they act concerned at all? or remorseful? i was a surrogate for sgusa and both my inted parents and I have been greatly impacted…im just curious as to what kind of people they are from a relatives perspective. it amazes me that they thing theyre not going to get caught that they dont think that eventually they will go to federal prison however long it may be it will happen…has ann always been a scam artist?
Megan Lehnhoff

I delivered twins as a surrogate this past August while working with SGUSA… and yeah half-way thru the pregnancy when my contact people kept changing and I started having to do all kinds of paperwork I started getting very concerned for my IP’s and myself when it came to compensation. I still have hospital bills that need to be paid!

Heather, I belieev we met and you came to the hospital when I delivered… would you mind emailing me and letting me know what if anything I should be doing at this point? MamaMegan06@aol.com

Thanks!
Karen

Megan-

Honestly Heather is not an experienced professional. You should contact the attorney that was retained for you during the surrogacy process. I would be willing to bet that you worked with Kate Lyon or Tamara daney? You should contact them for further instruction.
- Heather
  
  Tamera Daney is not returning phone calls or emails…
  - Karen
    
    Daney will not return phone calls…she never does! Call Kate Lyone- she is great!
Megan Lehnhoff

I worked with neither… Milena has already contacted me without me seeking her out.
govic

Is G. Conway, COO according to the old website, also implicated in this? She was in the process of trying to convince me to establish a heavily funded escrow account when whe all of a sudden disappeared last week/middle of March. Her bio is no longer on the webiste either.
Annette

Tonya shouldn’t have her children. I am certain that they are not being taken care of. Someone in an authoritive capacity needs to go to the home and check on them.
Heather

I think all of James family lives in the bay area or in the Modesto area… I could be wrong on that though
Andrea Pruett

OK let me help you guys out.

Tonya originally moved to TX to be closer to her girlfriend Ann Robinson. I am sure that she had other hidden intentions as well. This is just what she told me. She also said that it was “sooo much cheaper” to live there.James had nothing to do with the move really. His family lives in the bay area in CA.
Ann Moved to TX from Fresno to live near her children and to use her visitation rights…I am sure they will be removed one the father finds out about this!
- Melody McDonald
  
  Andrea,
  I’m a reporter in Texas following this story. Would you please email me at mjmcdonald@star-telegram.com or call me at 817-390-7386. I would like to speak with you, if you dont mind.
Justice

Did you know Tonya when she used Pruett instead of Collins. Which of the fourteen offices did you work at that is mentioned below? Did James move around from office to office?

I am sure that we can help you. We are a surrogate mother and egg donation agency with fourteen locations throughout the United States. We have many surrogates available at all times, and specialize in personal caring service. If you would like to speak to me please email me at andrea@getsurro.com.

Kindest Regards,

Andrea Pruett
Surrogenesis USA, INC.
http://WWW.getsurro.com
- Andrea Pruett
  
  Justice,
  
  Are you trying to portray the above blog as me (Andrea Pruett), or are you asking which location I worked at? There were only two actual physical locations that had an actual office. I worked in the corporate office.
  
  James did not move from office to office. He visited clinics all over the US as well as attorneys to inform them about the agency and hand out brochures for possible referrals in the future.
  
  Please do not reproduce literature with my name on it in the future.
  
  Thank You.
Katie Castle

I was a surrogate through SurroGenesis just recently (delivered twins the beginning of April). Luckily both the intended parents and myself were not hugely effected because in the beginning they chose to use an outside escrow company. My insurance however, was canceled three weeks before delivery (but we fixed that ourselves). It was hard losing the most wonderful worker that we had in the beginning, Cecile, she was amazing and I was told she was fired because she found things out. Whether that is true or not I do not know. I feel horrible for the other families affected and hope that they will be able to resolve everything and some day be able to realize their dreams. Now I am starting over to find a new agency to work with….and the long process begins again…
Surro owed BIG TIME

I was deeply affected by this scandalous broad and her gf. I delivered in mid feb. scheduled section and Tonya and Ann both kept pushin my remaining balance off. Saying shit like the bank needs 2 signatures and oh we will do this tomorrow. Never would they answer their phones only text messages, and MY CASE WORKER. What a joke…. Careless as hell when it came to my money. I should of listened to Heather and Becky from the start and my FIP’s and I would not be out a shit load of money and I AM THE ONE STUCK WITH HOSPITAL BILLS. I hope Tonya and Ann both get raped when they do eventually get their asses in jail. Sorry for the rant I am just so aggrivated with this whole lying, cheating situation. And it seems like all anyone cares about is the IP’s. Well wat about us surrogates that lost a lot due comp and almost losing their job, houe, car, etc. Hell we have families also and hese crooks dont care.

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