A federal grand jury in Oklahoma City has charged Tashella Sheri Amore Dickerson with wire fraud and money laundering, U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester announced on Thursday.
“The Department of Justice is committed to unraveling and prosecuting fraud in the Black Lives Matter organization, and this case illustrates how some in the group’s leadership allegedly used donor money to bankroll their own lifestyles,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement provided exclusively to Breitbart News. “We have zero tolerance for any kind of fraud perpetrated against the American people and will continue bringing fraudsters to justice as cases arise.”
Dickerson, 52, has served beginning in 2016 as the executive director of Black Lives Matter Oklahoma City (BLMOKC). The press release announcing the indictment, obtained by Breitbart News ahead of its public release, notes that she had access to BLMOKC’s bank, PayPal, and CashApp accounts.
The press release then details how the organization was structured and what its finances were supposed to be used for.
Instead of following what the group was supposed to do, though, officials allege that Dickerson transferred more than $2 million into her personal accounts over more than five years.
“Despite the stated purpose of the money raised, and the terms and conditions of the grants, the Indictment alleges that beginning in June 2020 and continuing through at least October 2025, Dickerson embezzled funds from BLMOKC’s accounts for her personal benefit,” the release reads. “The Indictment alleges Dickerson deposited at least $2.35 million in returned bail checks into her personal accounts, rather than into BLMOKC’s accounts.”
She ended up per the DOJ release allegedly using the money for, among other things, “recreational travel to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic for herself and her associates,” “tens of thousands of dollars in retail shopping,” “at least $50,000 in food and grocery deliveries for herself and her children,” “a personal vehicle registered in her name,” and “six real properties in Oklahoma City in her own name or in the name Equity International, LLC, an entity she exclusively controlled.”
She allegedly also filed false annual reports for the organization. “The Indictment further alleges that Dickerson used interstate wire communications to submit two false annual reports to AFGJ on behalf of BLMOKC,” the release states. “Dickerson reported that she had used BLMOKC funds only for tax-exempt purposes. She did not disclose that she used funds for her personal benefit.”
That means she faces up to 450 years in prison and fines of up to $7.5 million or more depending on the amount of property she allegedly criminally derived.
The release notes as well that the charges are the result of an investigation “by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office and IRS-Criminal Investigation” and that “Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Dillon and Jessica L. Perry are prosecuting the case.”