Arkansas couple Darien Urban and Shalene Ehlers learned their different fates this week when they were sentenced after trying to sell their baby for a “six-pack of beer” to a man at a campground.
Urban, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted accepting compensation for adoption during a hearing on Monday, December 22, according to Benton County court records obtained by Us Weekly.
In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors dropped one count of endangering the welfare of a minor. Meanwhile, Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karren accepted the plea agreement and sentenced Urban to serve three years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections with an additional three-year suspended sentence.
Ehlers, 21, pleaded guilty to both counts of attempting to accept compensation and endangering the child’s welfare. Following her plea, the judge ordered for Ehlers to be placed on state-supervised probation for six years. The sentencing means that Ehlers could end up with no criminal record if she completes the probation without issue.
Urban may have received a more severe punishment due to his prior legal trouble in Arkansas. Back in June 2023, he pleaded guilty to two counts of theft by receiving stolen goods that were valued between $1,000 and $5,000. He was placed on probation, and he violated the terms when he tried to sell his child, according to Law&Crime.
The couple attempted to sell their baby in September 2024, and they even drew up a contract for the deal.
“I Darien Urban and Shalene Ehlers are signing our rights over to Cody Nathaniel Martin of our baby boy [redacted] for $1,000 on 09/21/2024,” the document read, per Law&Crime. “Disclaimer: After signing this there will be no changing yall two’s minds and to never contact again.”
The affidavit stated that multiple witnesses corroborated the exchange, while the deputy also obtained footage of Urban and Ehlers signing the contract.
Prior to the attempted sale, Ehlers allegedly approached a couple’s camper and asked them for beer. After they declined, a man named Ricky Crawford offered to give her a beer in exchange for keeping the baby overnight.
Crawford allegedly told authorities he was concerned about the baby’s welfare and he wanted to help the couple out, per the affidavit.
“He asked if he could have the baby overnight and provided Urban and Ehlers with several cans of beer in exchange,” the affidavit stated. “Urban and Ehlers agreed and gave the baby along with a diaper bag to Crawford. He then brought the baby to Martin at another camper at the campground. Ehlers and Urban then came to the same camper and spoke to Martin and Crawford before signing the letter.”
Martin allegedly told law enforcement he drew the contract up himself, though insisted that no money had been exchanged and he planned to bring the couple a $1,000 check days later.
“Based on the totality of the investigation, it is believed both Urban and Ehlers created a substantial risk of death or serious physical injury by abandoning their minor child initially with an obviously intoxicated male and ultimately with someone they did not know,” a detective stated in the affidavit.
Once the campground owner learned about the attempted transaction, he called 911 and the baby boy, who allegedly showed signs of neglect, was taken to a hospital.
Neither Urban or Ehlers are allowed to contact their son as part of their plea agreements.
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