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Woman at center of international kidnapping scheme to be arraigned in Western New York Friday

Lisa Miller, 52, is accused of bringing her seven-year-old daughter from Virginia to Toronto, and then flying to Nicaragua, in 2019.
Credit: AP
FILE - Lisa Miller answers questions about her custody battle during a news conference at the State Capitol on Thursday, April 17, 2008, in Richmond, Va. Federal court records say that Miller was taken into federal custody Jan. 27, 2021. She is awaiting transfer to Buffalo, New York, where she was indicted in 2014 on international parental kidnapping charges. Miller allegedly fled the United States for Nicaragua in 2009 rather than share custody of her child with her former same-sex partner. (AP Photo/Lisa Billings, file)

BUFFALO, N.Y. — A woman who has been at the center of an alleged parental kidnapping scheme has been arraigned in the U.S. Western District of New York on charges of conspiracy and international parental kidnapping.

Lisa Miller, 52, is accused of bringing her seven-year-old daughter from Virginia to Toronto, and then flying to Nicaragua, in 2019. Her former partner from a civil union in Vermont, Janet Jenkins, also had custody of the child. 

According to the US Attorney's office, Lisa was trying to prevent Jenkins from seeing their daughter.

It is believed that Miller has been living in Nicaragua since 2009, but the United States Attorney's Office says she recently surrendered at the U.S. Embassy. 

Three other defendants have been charged and convicted in this case, for their assistance in getting Miller and her daughter to the South American country. Philip Zodhiates, Kenneth Miller and Timothy Miller were all convicted of crimes relating to the kidnapping. 

The US Attorney's Office says Zodhiates helped plan the kidnapping and got Kenneth Miller, who is a Mennonite pastor, involved.  Zodhiates was sentenced  to serve 36 months in prison, while Kenneth Miller was sentenced to 27 months in prison.

The US Attorney's Office says Timothy Miller was involved in the plot financially, buying the plane tickets out of Toronto and providing her shelter in Nicaragua. Timothy Miller was sentenced to eight months (time served) for his role.

If convicted, Lisa's charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 

The court says Lisa will be arraigned on Friday at 1 p.m.

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