by Elma, NY — A woman once celebrated locally for welcoming her eighth child in 2010 is now at the center of a complicated custody and criminal case involving the twins she calls her 14th and 15th children. MaryBeth Lewis, 68, and her husband Bob Lewis, became known in Western New York years ago for their unusually large family, beginning with eight daughters born naturally and later expanding to include multiple sets of twins through in vitro fertilization.
In a 2010 interview with The East Aurora Advertiser, MaryBeth joked about the busy household, saying the biggest adjustment was her first child. Everything after that, she said, “kind of fell into place.” At the time, she insisted she had no plans for more. But motherhood, for her, became a decades-long dedication that extended far beyond those early statements.
From IVF to Surrogacy
According to a detailed New York Times investigation, MaryBeth and Bob used a combination of their own embryos and donor eggs and sperm for all pregnancies after their first five children. MaryBeth carried those pregnancies herself, even giving birth to twins at age 59 and again welcoming a child at age 62. She later told the paper, “My children were my love, my blessings.”
The most recent pregnancy, however, unfolded differently. For the first time, the Lewises used donor embryos and hired a surrogate to carry the twins born in 2023. And it was this surrogacy process — along with a series of choices made in secrecy — that sparked the legal crisis now surrounding the family.
Forgery and a Secret Pregnancy
The Times reported that MaryBeth forged her husband’s signature on the legal surrogacy documents, a possible violation of New York law requiring consent from both parents. While she maintains Bob initially supported the idea, he disputes this and had made clear he did not want more than 13 children.
Unable to destroy the embryos, MaryBeth moved forward anyway.
She concealed the pregnancy for months, even from her husband. During a virtual hearing in September 2023 to obtain a parentage order, she allegedly impersonated Bob by logging into a second Zoom account with the camera off.
“She logged on with a separate account for Bob and kept the camera turned off,” the Times wrote. “When the judge addressed him, MaryBeth says she grunted in assent.”
Bob discovered the truth only when the parentage order arrived in the mail.
Criminal Charges and Custody Dispute
What followed was an explosive legal unraveling. MaryBeth was indicted on multiple charges, including:
- Forgery in the second degree
- Criminal impersonation in the first degree
- Perjury in the second degree
- Attempted kidnapping in the second degree
At the same time, county officials moved to block the Lewises from custody of the twins, who have since been placed with foster parents. The county argued that granting custody after alleged crimes directly tied to the children’s creation would undermine legal and ethical safeguards.
“We can’t just have crimes committed with relation to the creation of life and then have them get exactly what they wanted under that criminal conduct,” a county attorney argued.
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MaryBeth has rejected two plea deals in order to continue fighting for custody — a battle Bob now publicly supports. Her surrogate has sided with her as well.
Family Divided but Standing By
The Lewis children have had varied reactions to the unfolding case. While some expressed frustration that their mother continued having children so late in life, many have rallied behind her.
“She’s not perfect, but none of us are,” one daughter told the Times. “She really, truly is a wonderful mom and human being.”
MaryBeth told the paper she believes she is being unfairly targeted by the system, describing the situation as devastating for her entire family.
A Case That Shocked the Courts
Attorneys involved — both prosecution and defense — acknowledged the extraordinary nature of the case.
“Is this for real?” Steuben County District Attorney Brooks T. Baker said, describing the allegations as “off-the-wall.”
Her defense attorney shared a similar reaction, calling her first review of the situation “jaw-on-the-desk.”
A new judge has since ruled that MaryBeth and Bob are the legal parents of the twins, but the foster parents are now appealing that decision. The children, who recently turned 2, remain in the care of their foster family for now.
Their foster mother told the Times the toddlers love bedtime stories like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, and she reads to them each night.
The case remains ongoing.
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