Montecito man arrested in Florida on warrant for adoption scam

Authorities said 57-year-old Orson Mozes was arrested in Miami Beach Monday. Orson Mozes is accused of operating an adoption scam that cost his victims more than a million dollars.

Mozes was captured Monday after an anonymous tip from someone who saw his picture on the 'America's Most Wanted' Web site. He would have been featured on the nationally televised show next month.

Mozes ran a business called adoption international program from his Montecito home. Santa Barbara County investigators issued a warrant for his arrest earlier this year.

The 62 felony counts of fraud represent each victim in this case.

Two of those victims are Dawn De Lorenzo and her husband, who live in New Jersey. Dawn said she and her husband used Mozes' adoption service after unsuccessful fertility treatments.

The couple said they were scammed out of $75,000 and were thrilled to hear the news of Mozes' arrest.

"Well, we were ecstatic. Because for the past week we were on pins and needles because he had been arrested twice using an alias and let go. So we weren't sure if they were going to catch up with him again. But they did, so we're really happy," Dawn De Lorenzo told Action News in a phone interview.

The De Lorenzos said they spent three months in Kazakhstan and actually spent 10 days with a child before they were told the adoption could not go through.

There is more great news for the De Lorenzos after going through this long and costly ordeal. Dawn is expecting to give birth to the couple's first child in May.

De Lorenzo also told Action News that Mozes is facing a federal civil suit that involves at least 17 victims.