How Could You? Hall of Shame-Judge Tammy Bass-Lesure UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions

Update: Tammy and her husband Karlos were charged with 30 counts of fraud and perjury on Friday Jnauary 21. ” Investigators said Bass-LeSure gave the twins to the sister of her bailiff, Ravonda Edwards Booker, who turned out to be a former DHS employee. Investigators said Booker has been raising the babies adopted by the judge, who received $700 a month from the state. The twins are currently in state custody.”

Furthermore, “Prosecutors said they are investigating if Booker worked on the twins’ case. Prosecutors said Booker was charged with arson Monday. Officials did not elaborate on the arson charge. DHS officials said a judge will be making a decision on this high-profile adoption case Tuesday night.”

Prosecutors Connect DHS Employee In Adoption Case
[KOCO.com 1/25/11]

Update 2: Prosecutors filed five more felony charges against Judge Bass-LeSure on Tuesday July 26, 2011. “The judge was charged in January with 30 counts of making a fraudulent claim against the state and two counts of perjury.

Prosecutors Tuesday added two counts of conspiracy, two counts of obtaining assistance by false representation and one count of falsifying records”

“The accusations arose after the judge and her husband became foster parents of twins in 2008. Bass-LeSure, 43, and her husband, Karlos LeSure, 47, adopted the young boy and girl last year.

Prosecutors allege the judge secretly gave away the twins to her bailiff’s sister in 2008 and lied on adoption papers to conceal the action. Prosecutors allege the judge also misused some state funds paid for their care.

In the new conspiracy counts, prosecutors allege the judge and her bailiff’s sister worked together to trick Department of Human Services workers.

In the other new counts, prosecutors allege the judge told lies that caused DHS to pay $31,605 to day cares where the children stayed. They also said the judge lied on an application for children’s health care benefits, in that she “falsely claimed she was unemployed.”

The bailiff’s sister was added as a defendant.

Ravonda Booker, 41, of Edmond, faces six felony counts. She also is known by the last name Edwards.

The judge’s husband was charged in January with two counts of making a fraudulent claim against the state and two counts of perjury. He does not face any additional counts.

A new witness in the case claims that the judge encouraged her to adopt children from the state for the money.

The witness said the judge even gave her information on how to accomplish such an adoption, a district attorney’s investigator wrote.

The witness, Tina Thompson, was the judge’s court reporter. The investigator said she reported hearing many conversations where the judge was trying to coordinate with the bailiff and Booker to get the twins to her house so a visiting DHS worker would believe the children were living there.

The judge Tuesday told The Oklahoman that Thompson was fired. Thompson said she was terminated because she did not use the judge’s husband to obtain a mortgage, according to the affidavit.

Bass-LeSure continues to work at the courthouse, primarily handling probate cases. Her preliminary hearing is on hold because she is asking the Court of Criminal Appeals to disqualify Prater from prosecuting her. ”

Oklahoma County District Judge Tammy Bass-LeSure facing new counts in adoption fraud case

[The Oklahoman 7/26/11 by Nolan Clay]

Update 3: A few more details about the fraudulent claims. The new charges include “accepting day care assistance and lying to get government-funded health care for the kids she and her husband adopted.” This is in addition to charges that she took “$19,000 in foster care payments, according to a court affidavit.” The preliminary hearing for these new charges will be sometime in September 2011.
New Charges Filed Against Tammy Bass-LeSure
[KOCO 7/26/11]

Update 4: The allegations are even worse than initially reported.

“An Oklahoma County judge once directed a court employee to get “dirt” on the birth mother of twins the judge wanted to adopt, prosecutors say.

Prosecutors Thursday filed a list outlining the expected testimony of more than 115 witnesses in their fraud case against District Judge Tammy Bass-LeSure.

The judge is accused in the felony case of secretly giving away the boy and girl to her bailiff’s sister shortly after the judge became their foster mother in 2008.

The judge is accused of adopting the young children last year while continuing to conceal who actually was raising them.

Bass-LeSure, 44, and her husband, Karlos LeSure, 47, were charged in January with fraud and perjury. The twins went back into state custody. The judge and the bailiff’s sister, Ravonda Latrice Edwards, 41, were charged with conspiracy in July.

A preliminary hearing was set to begin Thursday. It was delayed to Dec. 19.”

“Edwards last year was in a violent romantic relationship with another woman, prosecutors allege. Edwards — who had been a DHS child-welfare worker — is accused in other felony cases of attacking the ex-girlfriend with a knife and of setting the ex-girlfriend’s bed on fire.

The judge has claimed she was raising the twins although they sometimes stayed with others, like when she got death threats. The judge’s attorneys have called the prosecution a witch hunt. The judge and her husband last week lost their parental rights to the twins.

In the witness list, prosecutors reported the judge’s former court reporter, Tina Thompson, will testify about the effort to get information on the twins’ birth mother.

Thompson will testify she went with the judge’s deputy court clerk to a motel to try and find the birth mother, according to the legal filing.

Thompson said the deputy court clerk was acting at the judge’s direction to get “dirt” that could help get the birth mother’s parental rights terminated so the judge could complete the adoption, prosecutors reported.

Thompson also overheard discussions by the judge and the judge’s bailiff about one of the birth mother’s relatives who wanted the twins placed with her in Georgia, prosecutors reported. Thompson heard them say “they were not going to let that happen.”

Thompson was later fired by the judge. “She is afraid of Judge LeSure and the power she is perceived to have,” prosecutors wrote. “She is afraid the judge will attempt to affect her … immigration status.”

The twins’ biological mother, Kapri Whitehead, will testify that she felt pressured by the judge to relinquish her parental rights, prosecutors reported.

The children were put in the custody of the Department of Human Services shortly after birth because their mother was a cocaine user, investigators said. Prosecutors reported a DHS treatment worker will testify her goal was reunification of the twins with their mother but Bass-LeSure did not want that to occur.

Prosecutors also reported they have statements from witnesses who worked at day cares that Edwards regularly dropped off and picked up the twins and that the children called Edwards mother.

One day care teacher said she “never saw the LeSures” in the nine months the twins were there.
Edwards’ DHS co-workers said she regularly called the twins “my kids,” prosecutors reported. One worker said she went to the twins’ first birthday party and the judge was not there.

In adoption papers, Bass-LeSure had the children’s last name changed to Booker — a name Edwards also has used.

Prosecutors report the judge and her husband were allowed to visit the children after they were charged in January and the twins went back into state custody. Prosecutors report witnesses remember the judge and her husband had “to remind the children who they were during their first visit at the shelter in 2011.”

Bass-LeSure continues to work at the courthouse, primarily handling probate cases.”

Oklahoma County judge’s preliminary hearing postponed to December
[The Oklahoman 9/23/11 by Nolan Clay]

Update 5: Due to major surgery, Judge Bass-Lesure’s preliminary hearing has been delayed until January 3 – 6, 2012.

Preliminary hearing for Oklahoma County judge accused of fraud is delayed
[The Oklahoman 12/17/11 by Nolan Clay]

Update 6: “The first witnesses at a preliminary hearing for an Oklahoma County judge accused of adoption fraud testified Tuesday that she never picked up or dropped off her twins at day care centers.

“District Judge Tammy Bass-LeSure, 44, is accused in a felony fraud, perjury and conspiracy case of secretly giving away the twins to her bailiff’s sister, Ravonda L. Edwards.

The judge and her husband became the twins’ foster parents a few months after the boy and girl were born in October 2007. They adopted the twins in May 2010.

Prosecutors allege the children actually were being raised by Edwards the entire time.

Edwards, 41, and the judge’s husband, Karlos LeSure, 47, also are charged in the case. All have denied wrongdoing.

Defense attorneys suggested Edwards was only helping the busy judge with the children. Defense attorneys allege prosecutors charged the judge for political reasons.”

“Prosecutors put on their first four witnesses Tuesday in the largely circumstantial case.

They plan to call more than 20 witnesses during the preliminary hearing.
Testimony resumes Wednesday.
Three of the first witnesses worked at day care centers the children attended. One testified to seeing the judge once, in January 2008, on the day the children were enrolled.

The other two said they never saw the judge. The witnesses said Edwards mainly dropped off and picked up the children.

Edwards “would tell us … the real mother wasn’t doing what she was supposed to and eventually she would adopt them,” testified Marlisa Johnson, who works at Santa Fe Development Center in Edmond. “She told us she was the foster mom.”

Edwards was listed as the adoptive mother at a New Horizons Child Development Center in northwest Oklahoma City. They children were there from November 2009 to August 2010, according to testimony. Bass-LeSure was listed as an aunt.

The New Horizons center director, Leslie Hickox, said Edwards had a loving relationship with the twins. “It was heartwarming,” Hickox said.

Hearing the testimony is a Garfield County district judge, Paul Woodward. He must decide if prosecutors have sufficient evidence for a trial.”

Preliminary hearing under way for Oklahoma County judge in fraud case
[The Oklahoman 1/4/12 by Nolan Clay]

Update 7: Testimony stopped on Thursday January 5, 2012 so “prosecutors and her defense attorneys could try to negotiate a plea deal in the fraud case.”

“The judge faces almost 40 felony counts. She is accused of fraud, conspiracy, perjury and other offenses.

The judge and her husband, Karlos LeSure, became foster parents of the twins in January 2008 a few months after the boy and girl were born. They adopted the children in May 2010. Prosecutors allege Edwards was raising the children the entire time.

Karlos LeSure, 47, faces four felony counts in the case. Edwards, 41, faces six felony counts in the case.

The preliminary hearing judge, Paul Woodward, gave prosecutors and defense attorneys an hourlong break Thursday afternoon for the plea negotiations. Prosecutors and attorneys for all three defendants went to the district attorney’soffices to talk.

Woodward, a Garfield County district judge, later extended the break 30 more minutes and then recessed the preliminary hearing until 10 a.m. Friday. Attorneys would not discuss the negotiations with news reporters.

Any agreement almost certainly will require Bass-LeSure to resign as a judge.”

“Adoption records put into evidence Thursday morning showed Bass-LeSure and her husband had the last name of the twins changed to Booker in May 2010. Edwards has gone by that last name in the past.

Bass-LeSure’s attorney, David Autry, said the judge did not use her own last name for the twins for safety reasons. He described the children’s birth mother as a drug-addicted prostitute.”

“Medical records put into evidence Thursday during the preliminary hearing showed Edwards took the boy to an Edmond medical clinic on March 26, 2008, Nov. 18, 2008, and Jan. 4, 2009. She identified herself as the foster parent on the first visit. She took the girl to the clinic on Jan. 4 and 7, 2009

Bass-LeSure and her husband lost their parental rights to the children at a closed juvenile trial last year. The twins, now 4, are in foster care.

Edwards in 2010 was in a violent romantic relationship with another woman, prosecutors allege. Edwards — who had been a DHS child-welfare worker — is accused in other felony cases of attacking the ex-girlfriend with a knife and of setting the ex-girlfriend’s bed on fire.”

Plea negotiations stop testimony in Oklahoma County judge’s fraud case
[The Oklahoman 1/6/12 by Nolan Clay]

REFORM Puzzle Pieces

The caseworkers need to be held accountable for postplacement visitation and documentation of what was going on in this situation. The foster parents and sister/husband also need accountability.

Honest representation usually refers to honesty on the part of the agency or official involved or in charge of process. In this case, it is more egregious due to the foster parent being a judge and possibly representing herintentions dishonestly as a foster parent. We could have added trafficking and postplacement as issues here as well.

Prosecutors alleged Edwards raised the boy and girl even after the judge and her husband adopted them in May 2010.

The children called Edwards “Mommy,” witnesses said. They called the judge their aunt.”

Update 9: “A former Oklahoma County judge charged with felony counts of fraud, perjury and conspiracy is due for arraignment in Oklahoma County District Court

Arraignment of former Judge Tammy Bass-LeSure is to begin at 9 a.m. Friday.

Bass-LeSure allegedly claimed payments for two foster children who prosecutors say did not live with her. Her husband — Karlos LeSure — and Ravonda Edwards are also charged in the case. Edwards is the sister of Bass-LeSure’s bailiff.

All three have denied wrongdoing.

An affidavit alleges that Bass-LeSure received more than $19,000 in foster care reimbursement and more than $3,000 in adoption subsidies while the two children — a twin boy and girl — lived with Edwards. ”

Ravonna L. Edwards, Tammy’s bailiff’s sister, “faces six felony counts in the case.

Tammy Bass-LeSure and her husband each received a three-year deferred sentence. Under that type of probation, they will not have criminal convictions if they satisfy all probation terms.

A restitution hearing scheduled for later this month will determine how much they owe the state.”

“32 counts were dismissed in case
Tammy Bass-LeSure resigned as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. Her last official day was Thursday. She had faced almost 40 felony counts. She was accused of fraud, conspiracy, perjury and other offenses.”

The DA said ““Even before the adoption was finalized, Tammy Bass-LeSure and her husband, Karlos, abandoned the children by giving them to Ravonda Edwards,” Prater said in a statement, adding that an investigation “established proof of criminal activity.”

“Prosecutors alleged Edwards, who is due back in court March 29, raised the boy and girl. Witnesses said the children called Edwards “Mommy,” and called the judge their aunt.

The children are now 4.

Twins are now in foster care
Adoption records put into evidence during a preliminary hearing show the judge and her husband had the twins’ last name changed to Booker in May 2010. Edwards has used that name in the past.

Prosecutors alleged the judge and her husband lied on adoption papers. They also alleged Tammy Bass-LeSure misspent some of the funds provided her for the children’s care.

She and her husband lost their parental rights to the twins at a closed juvenile trial last year. As part of the plea agreement, they dropped an appeal of that ruling.

The twins are now in foster care. They will now be eligible to be adopted.

Prater said he considered the “welfare of the innocent children whose lives have been so significantly disrupted by the defendant’s actions” before agreeing to a request to resolve the case.

“I entered into the negotiations with two goals: Immediately making the children available for adoption to a loving home, and immediately removing Tammy Bass-LeSure from the Oklahoma County bench,” he said.

Ex-judge agreed to not hold office in state.”

Garfield County District Judge Paul Woodward handed down the order Thursday [May 3, 2012] to former Judge Tammy Bass-LeSure and her husband, Karlos.”