“Meant To Be Rich”
The Oklahoma Supreme Court has accepted an attorney ‘s resignation.
Such an action is “tantamount to disbarment.”
NewsOK had this report
A Delaware County attorney known for saying to her friends she “was meant to be rich” was charged Friday in Delaware County District Court with attempting to steal away from her former boyfriend a million-dollar luxury Grand Lake residence.
Pitts is Cartwright’s daughter and Hogshooter is her former employee.
A $40,000 outstanding warrant was issued on Friday for Cartwright, a $10,000 outstanding warrant was issued for Pitts and a $10,000 outstanding warrant was issued for Cupp, court records show.
Sheriff Harlan Moore said he expects Cartwright and her daughter to surrender to authorities next week. Hogshooter surrendered to authorities Friday afternoon and is free on $10,000 bail, he said.
The women are accused of preparing a phony land deed and a bogus Oklahoma corporation to obtain ownership of a 5,500 square-foot waterfront residence that sits along an 18-hole golf course and has four bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms.
The house is now listed for sale at $1.75 million, according to Duck Creek Realty.
Donna Ann Cupp, 59, of Sallisaw, another former employee, is charged with embezzlement. She is accused of stealing over $15,000 from Cartwright’s clients.
A $10,000 outstanding warrant was issued for Cupp, court records show. Sallisaw police are attempting to locate the woman, Moore said.
According an arrest affidavit Cartwright and Tor Staubo, a professional boat racer from Norway, were involved in a romantic relationship from the summer of 2011 to August 2012. In July 2012, Staubo paid $1.2 million in cash for a luxury Grand Lake residence then spent another $250,000 to furnish the residence, the affidavit states.
After ending the relationship with Cartwright, Staubo left instructions the attorney was only to look after the property — not live there, the affidavit states. Six months later Staubo instructed Cartwright to put the house up for sale.
Cupp, who has been friends with Cartwright for 30 years, told authorities Cartwright said, “he bought it for me and it’s gonna be mine,” the affidavit states.
Staubo received an anonymous letter in May 2013 saying Pitts was the homeowner, the affidavit states.
When Staubo confronted Cartwright, she told him “he’d agreed to the property transfer,” the affidavit states. Cartwright said she would get the deed reversed but never did so, the affidavit states.
Hogshooter testified under oath Staubo signed a new deed in her presence on Oct. 29, 2012 and that she notarized his signature and filed the deed at the Delaware County Courthouse.
Problem was Staubo was not in Jay on Oct. 29, 2012 and that the bogus company was not formed until Nov. 1, 2012 and the deed transaction was filed Nov. 7, 2012, the affidavit states.
A handwriting expert confirmed neither Staubo nor Hogshooter signed the land deed, the affidavit states.
Staubo received several threatening emails from Pitts that said, “Don’t question anything about your house that is really mine or you will be deported never to return to my country again.”
Cupp also told investigators about minor inconsistencies Cartwright purposely did when preparing the fake company filing. She told investigators she overheard Cartwright give specific instructions regarding the bogus company filing and she wanted someone other than herself to go the courthouse and file the new company information because “it might draw attention to her,” the affidavit states.
In an unrelated matter, Cartwright prepared a letter for Sequoyah County District Attorney Brian Kuester outlining how Cupp embezzled from one of Cartwright’s guardianship cases.
Monies drafted from the guardianship case was taken and used to make payments on existing bank loans belonging to Cupp and Cartwright’s sister and to pay Cartwright’s monthly bills, according to the affidavit.
Some of the bank’s financial statements included notes saying, “Betty called and she advised Donna has authority for the transactions,” the affidavit states.
Cupp admitted to making the cash transfer for her own personal business, but it at the direction of Cartwright, the affidavit states.
In 2004, Cupp pleaded no contest to multiple counts of embezzlement in Sequoyah County and received a 5-year suspended sentence, court records show.
(Mike Frisch)