San Diego, California – Lillian Arielle Markowitz, former owner of three San Diego-based surrogacy consulting companies, was sentenced on Friday to 24 months in federal prison for orchestrating a fraud scheme that stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from hopeful parents.
U.S. District Judge Todd W. Robinson handed down the sentence and ordered Markowitz to pay $389,142 in restitution to her former clients. Many of them had entrusted her with their life savings to start or grow their families.
According to court documents, Markowitz operated three surrogacy-related businesses — My Donor Cycle, Surrogacy Beyond Borders, and Expecting Surrogacy — where she marketed herself as a trusted consultant for individuals pursuing parenthood through surrogacy. But starting around 2018, Markowitz turned to fraud as her businesses began to falter financially…