ST. CLAIRSVILLE -- The woman at the center of a celebrity surrogate scandal that's left two police chiefs charged took the stand Thursday afternoon.

Michelle Ross acted as a surrogate mother for the twins of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick.

Ross testified in the trial of Martins Ferry Police Chief Barry Carpenter, who is accused in connection with a conspiracy to take items from her home. Carpenter allegedly tried to sell those items to tabloid photographers and faces 21 1/2 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

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More Day 3 Testimony: Audiotapes Reveal Chief's Conversations With Investigators

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Ross testified the pregnancy was the second time she served as a surrogate mother. She had moved to Ohio from Florida, because Florida does not permit surrogacy.

When she was eight or nine months pregnant, Ross said she started feeling uncomfortable when a reporter showed up at her door questioning her about the surrogacy. Soon after, the surrogacy agency moved her out of her home and into a cabin.

In mid-May, Ross said she was planning to return to her home when she was contacted by New York City photographer Justin Steffman, who told her he met with people, including Carpenter, who were trying to sell her personal items.

That day, Ross went to her home with sheriff's deputies and said she noticed things were misplaced in her home, including a plaster cast of her stomach that was taken when she was pregnant with her own son, not Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's twins.

She further testified that ultrasound photos and tax information were missing from her home. That's when investigators from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation took over the case.

Carpenter's attorney, Dennis McNamara, asked her why she posted about the surrogacy on her MySpace page. Ross said she is permitted to say she is a surrogate, just not for whom.

The defense also argued that Ross' list of missing items changed several times.

Ross appeared calm and collected, confident and prepared. During her testimony, Carpenter did not show much emotion.

Earlier Thursday, the jury listened to audiotape conversations between Carpenter and an investigator from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.

On the tapes, Carpenter said he received a call from Bridgeport Police Chief Chad Dojack, who told Carpenter that photographers wanted to pay for information about Ross. Carpenter said he and his officers started to monitor Ross' home, and one day noticed the basement door was wide open. He said he entered the home and found really "off the wall" items like a plaster cast of Ross' pregnant stomach. Carpenter said he secured the door and left the home.

Later, he said Dojack called him again and said the photographers were staying at a local hotel and willing to pay $20,000 for items. Carpenter said he soon after met with the photographers.

The BCI&I investigator told Carpenter, "We have taped conversations of you offering to sell those items to paparazzi," but Carpenter said he was only joking with the photographers.

Carpenter said he consulted with Prosecutor Chris Berhalter about the conversation and said he wanted nothing to do with the photographers. Berhalter, who recused himself from the case, also took stand Thursday. He told the jury he and Carpenter have been friends since high school and knew about the case before it was made public.

Berhalter testified that Carpenter called him for advice about an incident and asked Berhalter legal questions about the possibility of selling a photo taken at Ross' home to tabloids.

Officer Chip Ghent was next called as a witness and testified that Carpenter told him, "I didn't take anything out of that house."

Dojack was also charged in connection with the alleged theft and will be tried separately on Jan. 12. Dojack stepped aside as Bridgeport chief while he deals with the charges. He is accused of conspiring to break into the home in order to take items that could be sold to the tabloid publications.

Charges were previously dismissed against Bruce Callarik, who owns the motel where the celebrity photographers were reportedly staying. Callarik is the son of the Bridgeport mayor and also Dojack's father-in-law. He faced the least severe charge: one count of receiving stolen property. The prosecutor said it would be better to use Callarik as a witness so he can cooperate fully and openly with the ongoing investigation.

NEWS9's Allison Latos will be in the courtroom again on Friday and will report on the latest developments as the trial moves forward.