24 families claim Houston surrogacy escrow company owner spent their money on herself

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- At least two dozen families accuse a company owner of stealing the money they entrusted to her to help them have children through surrogacy.

The money was supposed to be held in a trust and then given out to pay for healthcare, insurance, and compensation, but attorneys claim the owner used the funds to pay for a lavish lifestyle.

"They were used to fund her lifestyle, to fund her businesses, to grow her businesses, and essentially, to hide it from all the intended families that lost so much," Marianne Robak, the attorney representing the families, said.

The company is called Surrogacy Escrow Account Management LLC, or SEAM. Dominique Side, who didn't attend a court hearing on Wednesday, owns SEAM.

In a 2022 interview with Voyage Houston, Side called herself a "serial entrepreneur." Court records allege she transferred SEAM funds to her music studio, fashion line, vegan lifestyle brand, and even used them to "bankroll her music career as 'Dom,' a racy rap and R&B singer and music producer."

On Wednesday, a judge ordered the assets of SEAM's owner frozen, for now.

The lawsuit includes more than 24 families who claimed the company took advantage of them and targeted them because of their desire to grow their families. Attorneys estimate there could be hundreds of potential victims nationwide.

Side's business partner testified on Wednesday.

"She told me there were some issues with some of the funds," business partner Anthony Hall said. "For me, doing the right thing was making sure she owned and was accountable."

According to the lawsuit, some of the families contributed $50,000, but a financial expert testified that the money is likely gone.

Attorneys said it was too early to tell whether the families would get anything back at all.

Last month, the FBI posted an appeal on social media requesting potential SEAM victims to come forward.