3 Tulsa Co. sisters charged with caretaker abuse, accused of stealing $400K from elderly couple

Three sisters are accused of stealing over $400,000 while neglecting an elderly Collinsville couple. Prosecutors say the women partied at the victims' home, refused medication, and failed to call for help after a serious injury. Two sisters have been arrested and brought back to Tulsa.

Tuesday, February 4th 2025, 5:44 pm

By: Reagan Ledbetter


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Tulsa County prosecutors charge three sisters with caretaker abuse after investigators say the women took more than $400,000 from an elderly Collinsville couple they were supposed to be caring for.

Investigators say the three sisters, Courtney Bland, Claudia Basham and Sara Bland, fled to California during the investigation. Courtney Bland and Claudia Basham have been arrested and brought back to Tulsa. Bland said they went to California before charges were filed and weren't on the run.

What Happened:

Investigators say a Collinsville man hired Courtney Bland, Sara Bland and Claudia Basham to care for his wife, who has dementia and is bedridden. Several of the victim's family members came forward saying they were concerned their loved ones weren't being cared for properly. Investigators say the sisters were not licensed caretakers.

"I believe that they saw where there were some resources that this family had and was going to do whatever they could to infringe upon that, on those resources,” said Deputy Richie Gonzales with the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office.

Family members told investigators the sisters borrowed the victims' vehicles, threw parties at the house, brought their own children and family to the couple's home to swim and hang out, and refused to give medication.

Investigators say the victim was found with bed sores and soaked in urine. Investigators say one time, the victim fell out of bed and injured her face, but no one called for medical help for five hours.

“That is caretaker neglect. You had a position of authority to care for this loved one, that trusted you, and you violated that trust. She had an accident and hurt herself,” said Deputy Gonzales.

Investigators say they worked with OSBI to look at the couples’ financial records and learned over the course of seven months, there was $400,000 worth of cash withdrawals that went missing. They say during that same period, $183,000 was recorded as payroll for the three sisters.

"It's very common for somebody to be a caretaker and not render the aid at all, whether it's a family member or someone that's paid,” Deputy Gonzales said.

Courtney Bland has bonded out of jail, and her sister Claudia is being brought back to Tulsa.

Bland told News On 6 they lost their home after they lost their jobs, which is why they went to California last fall. Charges were filed in December.

Reagan Ledbetter

Reagan Ledbetter joined News On 6 in June 2018 as a multimedia journalist. Reagan most recently was a student at the University of Oklahoma, where he received his degree in Broadcast Journalism

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