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SEAM scandal: Attorney of families seek extensive financial records from REGIONS Banks

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Published  August 22, 2024 6:26pm CDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 26 Houston

HOUSTON - The attorney representing the families in the Surrogacy Escrow Account Management scandal is looking to continue to follow the money in hopes to get answers for their clients and hold Dominique Side, the owner of SEAM, accountable. 

According to court documents obtained by FOX 26, attorneys filed a return of service on Aug. 19 addressed to Regions Bank. They're looking to get a hold of the following:

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  • The deposit account agreements between REGIONS Banks and SEAM from January 2016 to the present.
  • The bank's deposit account agreements for accounts listing Dominique Side as an authorized signor from January 2016 to the present.
  • All bank statements, wire transfer requests and receipts, images of the front and back of all canceled checks, correspondence, lockbox information, ACH information, and call logs for any accounts that SEAM and/or Dominique Side have had with the bank from January 2016 to the present.
  • All bank statements, wire transfer requests and receipts, images of the front and back of all canceled checks, correspondence, lockbox information, ACH information, and call logs for any deposit accounts that list Dominique Side as an authorized signor with the bank from January 2016 to the present.
  • Communications between the bank and Dominique Side from January 2023 to the present.

On Aug. 12, Harris County Judge Jeralynn Manor granted another temporary injunction in the civil lawsuit against a Houston-based surrogacy escrow company, SEAM.

Both parties agreed to the terms of the injunction and two hours of testimony was heard from Anthony Hall, a defendant named in the case. 

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He testified that he wants to see the families affected receive compensation, but advocated for himself to have access to his assets. 

Side is under a federal investigation led by the FBI.

The alleged misappropriation of millions of dollars put into escrow accounts managed by SEAM and Side was first reported by FOX 26's Jonathan Mejia on June 15. To see more of Jonathan Mejia’s report on this surrogacy scandal, download the FOX Local app for your Smart TV and watch on demand.