A Texas ranger's complaint details the allegation of child buying against a former Wichita County probation officer.
Lakashia Nicole McKnight of Wichita Fallshas been accused of giving cash and other things of value to awoman whose probation she oversawto get thewoman'sbabyfor adoption, according to the complaint.
Already facing other allegations, McKnight, 39, has been charged with purchaseof a child in connection with an Oct. 9, 2018, incident, and she is not allowed to go within 1,000 feet of the child's location as a condition of her release, according to court documents.
She was free Wednesday from Wichita County Jail on $5,000 bond on the latest charge as well as $27,500in bonds on previous charges,online jail records showed.
Purchase of a child is a third degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in jail.
The complaint by the ranger with the Texas Department of Public Safety gave this account: During the ranger's investigation, he interviewed Brenda Lee Velasquez, whose probation McKnight oversaw from Jan. 19, 2018, to Oct. 29, 2018.
McKnight found out Velasquez, now 42,was pregnant and started asking about adopting the child.
As the pregnancy continued, McKnightkept asking about the adoption and started to identify ways tofurtherher inquiry such as contacting a lawyer and talking toher husband.
During that time, Velasquez was behind on her community service hours. So McKnight falsifiedhours to prevent a possible probation violation and revocation for Velasquez.
During their conversations about adopting the baby, McKnight would say that it had to be a private adoption. No one could find out since Velasquez was on probation.
McKnight also started offering to pay Velasquez's probation fees and make down payments on apartments for her.
In August of 2018, Velasquez agreed to allow McKnight to adopt her child.
But Velasquez told the ranger she did not initially take any money or payments from McKnight because she did not want anyone to have anything they could hold over her head.
Velasquez believedMcKnight's offers to pay probation fees and prevent a violation, revocation or arrest were contingent upon allowing the now former probation officer to adopt her child.
At an unknown day at the end of August 2018, McKnight asked Velasquez to meet her at the Wells Fargo on Eighth Street in Wichita Falls to get documents notarized for the adoption.
Velasquez told the ranger they went into an office there, and a bank employee asked for her identification.
McKnight presented the documents and stated they needed to be notarized. Velasquez picked the paperwork to read it.McKnight took it from her hand, got upset and said they would come back later.
Once outside the bank, McKnight got very upset and told Velasquez she had been helping her, could have reported her probation violations and hadn't. She had kept Velasquez's case under the radar.
McKnight then accused Velasquez of trying to "screw her over."
Velasquez replied that she just wanted to read the adoption paperwork before signing it.
McKnight told her that if she wanted to go to jail and have a probation violation, that was fine. McKnight was done helping her.
McKnight again told Velasquez that she had falsified community service hours for her so she would not have a probation violation.
In August 2018, McKnight contacted Velasquez and advised her she needed to make payments on probation fees so no one would be "snooping around" in her file. McKnight met her at the Catfish Grill and slippedher $100 in cash.
On or about Aug. 31, 2019, Velasquez moved into the Woodview Apartments in Wichita Falls.McKnight gave Velasquez furniture for the apartment.
The ranger has reviewedtext messages between the two women about the furniture and has seen it.
On Oct. 9, 2018, Velasquez gave birth to a baby girl. After the child's delivery, McKnight and her lawyer came to the hospital and presented paperwork for her to sign.
Velasquez told the ranger that she had changed her mind about the adoption, but then she panicked.
Shewas afraid if she didn't go through with it, McKnight would have her arrested, considering her previous comments and actions about the status of Velasquez'sprobation.
After Velasquez relinquished the rights to her child, McKnightpaid the probationer'scell phone bill.
In September of 2019, the ranger interviewed the bank employee, who corroborated Velasquez's statement.
In fact, the employee told the ranger that McKnight had told her Velasquez agreed to come to the bank because she thought McKnight would give her more money.
The ranger looked at texts between McKnight and Velasquez from Oct. 19, 2018, in which the now former probation officer stated that she could have had probation violations from an arrest, lack of payments and community service hours, but McKnight did not report her.
A probation violation report wasfiled against Velasquez on Oct. 31, 2018. Thereport cited violations, including being behind on fees and community service hours and for additional arrests.
Velasquez was arrested in December of 2018 on suspicion of probation violations. The ranger has reviewed adoption records confirming the baby's adoption by McKnight.
The ranger believes there is probable cause that McKnight committed the crime of purchasing a child. The ranger requested certain conditions be imposed on McKnight's release.
The judge granted theconditions: McKnight must surrender her passport, weara GPS monitor, stay away from the child and remainin Texas unless she receives written permission from the court, according to court documents.
McKnight has also been charged with felonyfabricating physical evidenceand a misdemeanor charge of official oppression in connection with a March 6, 2018, incident, according to court and online jail records.
An investigation into the Wichita County adult probation department was triggered by what Wichita County District Attorney John Gillespie heard at Velasquez'sMay 17 probation revocation hearing.
Gillespie halted the hearing after learningMcKnighthad adopted Velasquez's baby.
McKnight has beenaccused of using her position to pressure Velasquez into allowing herto adopt thebaby late last year, according to court records.
The investigation has also led to charges against three other former employees of the Wichita County adult probation department.
Trish Choate, enterprise watchdog reporter for the Times Record News, covers education, courts, breaking news,politics and more. She loves getting news tips.If you have a good one, contact Trishat tchoate@gannett.com. Her Twitter handle is @Trishapedia.
