Photo: Getty Images
A leader of the 'Black Lives Matter' movement in Oklahoma City was indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with an alleged $3.15 million embezzlement scheme, prosecutors announced on Thursday (December 11).
Tashella Sheri Amore Dickerson, 52, was indicted on 20 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering earlier this month, according to court records obtained by the Associated Press. Dickerson has served as the executive director of Black Lives Matter OKC, which accepted charitable donations through its affiliation with the Alliance for Global Justice, since at least 2016 and the organization has raised more than $5.6 million since 2020, most of which was intended to be used to post bail for individuals arrested while protesting the killing of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer that same year.
Dickerson, however, allegedly embezzled at least $3.15 million into her personal accounts, which she then used to finance trips to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, as well as spending at least $50,000 on food and grocery deliveries, a personal vehicle, six Oklahoma City properties deeded to her or a company she controlled and retail shopping, according to the indictment. The suspect is also accused of submitting false annual reports to the Alliance for Global Justice, instead claiming the funds were used solely for tax-exempt purposes.
Dickerson faces up to 20 years in federal prison, $250,000 fine for each count of wire fraud, 10 years in prison and fines for each count of money laundering, according to the indictment. The 52-year-old shared a Facebook Live video claiming she was not in custody and was "fine" on Thursday afternoon.
“I cannot make an official comment about what transpired today,” Dickerson said at the time via the Associated Press. “I am home. I am safe. I have confidence in our team.”
“A lot of times when people come at you with these types of things ... it's evidence that you are doing the work,” she added. “That is what I'm standing on."