A Roma gang accused of selling a newborn to a childless couple for £6,500 and a car has told a French court that the child was ' a gift ' Four Roma men and women appeared in a Marseille court today , accused of human trafficking and being involved in several similar 'baby sales ' . Six others are facing related charges in what prosecution documents described as ' a two thousands piece puzzle built around four births ' . Human trafficking : Carmen and Mike Gorgan , pictured speaking to their lawyer in the courtroom of Marseille 's Criminal Court today , are accused of paying a Roma gang £6,500 and a BMW for newborn baby boy Tony . At the centre of the scandal was Ilie Ionita , a 35-year-old Romanian , and co-conspirators Valeriu Rosu , 42 , Florian Stan , 33 , and Florin Coman 25 . All face up to 10 years in prison and fines equivalent to more than £1million . They deny the charges against them , saying the babies were ' a gift ' . The only defendant not in court was Fana Moses , the 32-year-old mother of the baby boy called Tony whom the gang sold . In July 2013 , Marseille detectives received an anonymous tip that a Romanian woman had just given birth and had given the child to Mike and Carmen Gorgan , aged 27 and 28 . The four accused Roma gang members deny the charges against them , saying the babies were ' a gift ' Both were accused of 'complicity in human trafficking ' , but their lawyer , Patrick Gontart , insisted : 'They do not believe they have done anything wrong ' . The Roma gang was arrested as they prepared to board a flight from Italy back to Romania . At first all denied that money or good had been exchanged , but it was quickly established that Mr Gorgan had handed over 9000 euros ( £6,565 ) and the BMW to Ionita . Mr Gontart said : 'For a month and a half , Carmen behaved like Tony 's mother and was very well treated . ' He said the couple had 'fallen into the trap of many European couples . These are good people who are now unhappy because their child has been placed in a home . ' Documents including identity cards were falsified to try and make it look like the parents who bought the baby were the biological mother and father . They had been trying for children unsuccessfully for ten years , the court heard . At least three other cases of babies being sold were then tracked down , both on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica and on the mainland . In all , two boys were sold , while other transactions broke down . All of the children are now back with their biological mothers , or else have been taken into care by social services . OICEM , the organisation against modern slavery , is a civil party in the case – one which it says highlights the growing problem of poor immigrants offering children for sale . Referring to baby Tony 's case , OICEM director Nagham Hriech said : 'There was canvassing , exchange and even negotiations . 'The case , which is expected to last two days at Marseille Correctional Court , continues .
Roma gang 'sold ' newborn baby to childless French couple in ten years . Gang received £6,500 and a car , but claims the boy was a 'gift ' Faked ID to make it look like Frenchwoman was baby 's mother .