Manchester Couple Accuses NC Attorney Of Failing, Exploiting Them

MANCHESTER, NJ — Two months after a Manchester Township couple’s infant son was taken from them following a traffic stop in North Carolina, the child welfare investigation of the family has been closed.

But the couple is seeking a new attorney to represent them in North Carolina, where they must appear on March 15 on misdemeanor charges of marijuana possession and assault that were filed after the traffic stop. They allege Jason Keith, the attorney who represented them during the three-week battle to regain their son, failed them in the child welfare case and exploited their case for self-promotion.

Keith says the couple is just seeking money back from the $12,000 he charged to represent them.

“The client paid me," he said. "They got their kid back.”

The baby, Truth Imanuel Sykes, was taken from Kaila Boulware and Raymond Cheley Sykes by social services officials in Montgomery County, North Carolina, after the couple was arrested on misdemeanor charges of marijuana possession following the stop Dec. 3.

North Carolina Social Services officials claimed the couple was homeless, Boulware said, in spite of the fact that the police report states their permanent address is in New Jersey. The couple was headed to Florida to visit family, with the baby and the family’s two dogs, and had stopped to rest during the trip. Their minivan was pulled over when the family resumed their trip, with Boulware driving, about 2 a.m. Read more: Manchester Couple's Baby Released, But Ordeal In NC Isn't Over

The child welfare case was transferred to New Jersey’s Department of Children and Families on Dec. 21, after a judge in Montgomery County released the baby to the care of Sykes’ mother, and the family returned to New Jersey.

On Monday, Boulware said the couple received the news that New Jersey officials had closed the investigation. New Jersey child welfare officials said they could not comment.

“Due to confidentiality and privacy laws, DCF does not confirm investigations or involvement with any families,” said Nicole Brossoie, a spokeswoman for the department.

Boulware said in the month since their return from North Carolina, the couple has learned Keith never refuted the claim by North Carolina social services that the family was homeless, and failed to inform them of what was happening.

Keith charged them $12,000 for his services, and the couple has filed a fee dispute with the North Carolina Bar Association.

Keith, reached Wednesday afternoon, said the issue was just a fee dispute because they are unhappy with the cost of the services.

“It’s just a situation where they are asking for money back,” Keith said, in response to questions about Boulware's complaint.

“I have over 30 hours logged and the courthouse was two hours away,” Keith said. “The client paid me. They got their kid back.”

Boulware said it’s more than just the issue of the money. The couple believes that had Keith presented their case correctly, including evidence showing they were properly caring for Truth, the child welfare case would have been completely dropped in North Carolina.

Boulware said Keith never presented the information that the couple has a permanent residence in New Jersey; they were deemed “homeless” by North Carolina social services because they didn’t live in the state. She said Keith also never countered claims that they had no food for Truth with the information that Boulware was still exclusively breastfeeding, rather than feeding him store-bought baby food. Their minivan, which had been sitting in impound while they fought to get their son returned to them, had toys and blankets for Truth, and food and drinks for her and Sykes.

“Jason was supposed to make all this stuff clear,” Boulware said.

“He came out from meeting with the judge and told us it was all settled,” she said, which gave them the impression Truth would be released to them and the child welfare case closed in North Carolina.

“Nothing was discussed with Raymond and I,” she said.

When the judge ordered Truth released to Sykes’ mother they were completely caught off-guard, Boulware said, because Keith never explained the agreement with social services.

Boulware said the couple feels Keith exploited them for his own personal gain. She shared a screenshot of an Instagram post from Keith’s account that shows the couple sitting in court waiting for the decision on Dec. 21. He captioned it referencing the fight to regain their son and saying "a month later, a mother is reunited with her son and her son will be reunited with his favorite teddy bear."

Taking photos is not permitted in most courts without permission of the court, especially in Family Court cases.

Keith’s Instagram account is now set to private, but the profile photo in the screenshot of the Instagram post matches his profile photo on Facebook.

Boulware said she feels like Keith, whom she said they were put in touch with through the National Action Network, took advantage of them because they were from out-of-state. They are planning to file a complaint with the North Carolina Bar Association in addition to the fee dispute, she said.

It would not be the first complaint filed against Keith, who practices in Greensboro. He was reprimanded in 2019 by the bar association for violating the rules of professional conduct while representing four people in criminal matters. U.S. District Court Judge Catherine Eagles said he showed a lack of diligence in the representations; a lack of familiarity with the law; provided inappropriate advice “such that the client(s) risked receiving increased jail time,” and did not keep his clients reasonably informed about their cases, the disciplinary order said. Keith was barred from practicing in federal court until he underwent additional training, the Greensboro News and Record reported.

The couple has to return to North Carolina for a March 15 court date on the misdemeanor criminal charges. Boulware has a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession, and Sykes faces misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and assault on a law enforcement officer in addition to a marijuana possession charge. She hopes they can find an attorney they can vet properly and receive a proper defense.

She’s grateful to have the child welfare case closed.

“Those three weeks without him were the three hardest weeks of our entire life,” Boulware said. “I have a sense of peace,” even with the remaining hearing.

“The truth will set you free, that’s why we named our son, Truth,” she said.

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