NOTE: This is a version of an article first published in Frank Report’s continuing coverage of Family Court corruption and Hague Convention abuse.
By Richard Luthmann
Sara Young’s custody battle has taken another dramatic turn as her estranged husband, Daniel Bichanich, continues to manipulate the legal systems of multiple countries. After Judge JoAnn Johnson of Ventura County, California Superior Court ordered the deportation of Young’s three U.S. citizen children to Italy, Bichanich has now been caught forging court documents to block Young from seeing her children.
“There has not been any custody order from any court,” Young explained.
Yet Bichanich has used forged documents claiming sole legal custody to deceive Italian authorities and the children’s school. Young recently discovered that her husband used a fake legal order to lock her out of their house in Italy and ban her from seeing her children at school.
“He’s using this forged document to keep me locked out of the house in Italy and to ban me from seeing my kids,” she said.
Young is now filing criminal charges against Bichanich with the Italian Carabinieri for submitting falsified legal papers, further deepening the complex international custody dispute.
A Judge’s Cold-Hearted Ruling
This situation all stems from an earlier ruling by Judge JoAnn Johnson in Ventura County, California, on September 3, 2024. Despite evidence that Young’s children are U.S. citizens with minimal ties to Italy, Judge Johnson ordered the children to be deported to Italy, siding with Bichanich.
Young described the ruling as heartless: “The court ordered my children be turned over to my ex today, even though he didn’t comply with any of the court’s orders,” she said.
Judge Johnson ignored Bichanich’s failure to pay $5,000 in unpaid child support, buy Young a plane ticket to accompany the children to Italy, and provide the children's itineraries.
Judge Johnson’s refusal to allow Young to say goodbye to her children only added to her grief.
“She denied my request to say goodbye to my kids and ordered me to sit in the courtroom while my husband collected them and left the courthouse,” Young said.
The ruling left Young devastated as her children were whisked away to Italy, with no clear path to regain access to them.
Bichanich’s Legal Manipulation
Daniel Bichanich has not stopped at using the Hague Convention to his advantage. In his petition to the Ventura County court, he claimed that he already had full custody from the Italian courts, a lie that helped strengthen his case.
Now, Bichanich has taken his deception further by forging papers that falsely claim Judge Johnson granted him sole legal custody—an outright fabrication, as Hague Convention rulings do not determine custody, only jurisdiction.
With these forged documents, Bichanich has not only barred Young from her children’s school in Italy but has also used the papers to justify locking her out of the family home.
Upon discovering the forged court order, Young was outraged: “I will be filing criminal charges against him with the Italian Carabinieri,” she said.
Children Living in “Filth and Squalor”
When Young arrived in Italy, the police granted her brief access to the family home to collect some personal belongings. What she found shocked her.
“I videotaped the conditions inside where he’s been keeping my kids,” Young said.
The footage shows a squalid, dirty environment—clearly unfit for children to live in.
“The squalor inside the house where he's been living since May is disgusting and obviously unfit for any child,” she added.
Young’s videos of the home reveal the stark contrast between the life Bichanich claimed to provide for the children and the reality of their living conditions.
Despite presenting himself as the more stable parent in court, Bichanich’s failure to maintain a healthy environment for the children exposes another layer of his deceit.
Filing Charges and Fighting Back
Currently, Young is fighting back against her husband’s lies in Italy. In addition to filing criminal charges for the forged documents, she is preparing to confront the Italian school that banned her from seeing her children based on Bichanich’s fraudulent claims.
“He furnished a copy of the forged papers to the school to ban me from accessing the kids,” she explained.
While the legal fight continues, Young remains determined to expose Bichanich’s manipulation of the courts and regain access to her children.
“I’m not going to let him take my children away through lies and forgery,” Young stated. “I will keep fighting for them, no matter what it takes.”
International Custody Battle
Young’s battle highlights a critical issue in international custody disputes: the potential for wealthy and well-represented parties to exploit legal systems in multiple countries.
With the help of his high-powered Los Angeles attorney, Peter A. Lauzon, Bichanich has managed to outmaneuver Young at every turn, using the Hague Convention as a weapon rather than a tool for justice.
The Hague Convention was designed to prevent international child abduction. Still, critics argue that abusive spouses often misuse it to gain control over children and restrict access to protective parents. In this case, Bichanich’s lies and manipulations have left Young isolated and without access to her children.
Looking Forward
As Young fights back against Bichanich’s forged documents and manipulation of the legal system, she faces an uphill battle. Her children remain in Italy, cut off from their mother, who has been barred from their school and their home. But Young is determined to expose the truth and hold Bichanich accountable for his actions.
“I will keep fighting for my children,” Young said. “They deserve better than this, and I won’t stop until I get them back.”
However, her fight is far from over. She continues to battle both the Italian and U.S. legal systems, determined to bring her children home and expose the lies that have kept them from her. With forged documents, squalid living conditions, and a father willing to deceive at every turn, Young’s story is a tragic example of how international custody laws can be exploited to harm children and protective parents.
Seeking Information on Family Court Rogues
This outlet continually seeks information about Family Court Rogues. If you can provide details about crooked judges, lawyers, and family court personnel, please send the information to richard.luthmann@protonmail.com.
Here are some of the rogues we are currently investigating (the list is not exhaustive):
Judge JoAnn Johnson (Ventura County, California)
Judge Jane K. Grossman (New Haven, Connecticut)
Judge Erika M. Tindill (New Haven, Connecticut)
Judge Thomas J. O'Neill (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
Judge William S. Boyd (Cook County, Illinois)
Judge Renee G. Goldfarb (Cook County, Illinois)
Judge Jane Gallina-Mecca (Bergen County, New Jersey)
Justice Lorna J. McAllister (Brooklyn, New York)
Justice Tandra L. Dawson (New York, New York)
Justice Kathleen Waterman-Marshall (New York, New York)
Justice Sherri L. Eisenpress (Rockland County, New York)
Justice Ronald Castorina, Jr. (Staten Island, New York)
Attorney Peter A. Lauzon (Los Angeles, California)
Attorney Gretchen Z. Boger (San Jose, California)
Attorney Marianne J. Charles (Cos Cob, Connecticut)
Attorney Edward Nusbaum (Westport, Connecticut)
Attorney Alexander J. Cuda (Westport, Connecticut)
Attorney Jocelyn B. Hurwitz (Westport, Connecticut)
Attorney Reuben A. Doupé (Naples, Florida)
Attorney John M. D'Arco (Chicago, Illinois)
Attorney James M. Quigley (Bannockburn, Illinois)
Attorney Daniel B. Nottes (New York, New York)
Attorney Robert H. Tembeckjian (New York, New York)
Attorney John Z. Marangos (Staten Island, New York)
Attorney Gary C. Angiuli (Staten Island, New York)
Attorney Evelyn Nissirios (Montvale, New Jersey)
Foreign Filth and Squalor: Sara Young Fights Back After Husband Denies Her Access to Kids in Italy