Husband and Wife, Chinese immigrants, have four year old Son together. Husband and Wife are separated.

Under their joint legal custody arrangement, Husband has timesharing with Son every weekend, and neither Husband nor Wife is permitted to take Son out of the US without proper written permission of the other parent.

Wife e-mails Husband that she is traveling to China with Son within a couple of hours of her e-mail. Husband e-mails her back his objection.

Husband also heads to the airport, where he shows the airport authorities his court order.

Wife’s flight has already departed, but is recalled from Canada. Upon landing, Wife is arrested for attempted international parental kidnapping of Son.

Wife is subsequently convicted of international parental kidnapping and may be incarcerated for up to 3 years.

Read more in this US Attorney’s Office’s press release: Chinese National Convicted of Attempted International Parental Kidnapping