Father Convicted in Attempt to Sell Girl for $90,000

A Van Nuys man was found guilty Friday of slavery for attempting to sell his 2-year-old daughter for $90,000 to an Encino couple who had hoped to adopt her.

Jurors in Van Nuys Superior Court deliberated for one hour before returning the verdict against Alan Daniel, 30. He faces a maximum of four years in state prison when he is sentenced Aug. 22 by Judge Thomas Schneider.

According to testimony during the two-day trial, Daniel demanded the money in exchange for allowing Ronald and Susan Miulli to adopt the child, Fallon, whom the couple later renamed Megan.

Refused to Return Child

Daniel had allowed the Miullis to care for Megan for seven months, but refused to return her to the couple after the child visited his home on her second birthday last November.

At that point, the Miullis testified, Daniel asked for the $90,000.

The verdict prompted tears from Susan Miulli and her mother, Nikki Campbell.

“I felt in my heart that that was what they would say,” Susan Miulli said.

Daniel sat with his head bowed and his hand on his face while the verdict was being read.

His attorney, Peter Brown, had argued that Daniel was not selling the child but seeking compensation to facilitate private adoption proceedings.

The Miullis have been awarded temporary custody of the child pending a hearing on permanent placement, according to their attorney, Lawrence Brown.

The Miullis said they hope Daniel’s conviction will aid them in their fight to adopt the girl.

“It’s another big step for us,” Ronald Miulli said. “I think that (jurors) have cleared the way for us. They showed that he was unfit.”

The child’s mother has a history of drug problems and abandoned the girl shortly after birth, according to trial testimony.