Tashella Sheri Amore Dickerson, 52, the executive director of Black Lives Matter OKC, was indicted on 20 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering after prosecutors say she diverted at least $3.15 million from more than $5.6 million raised since 2020. The indictment alleges funds meant for bail and charitable purposes were spent on international travel, retail purchases, groceries, a vehicle and six properties. Dickerson said in a Facebook Live that she was safe and unable to comment formally. If convicted, she faces decades in prison and substantial fines.
Oklahoma BLM Leader Indicted: 20 Wire-Fraud Counts, $3.15M Allegedly Diverted
FILE - The Rev. T. Sheri Dickerson, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter in Oklahoma City, speaks during a rally outside the Stillwater Police Department in Stillwater, Okla., June 3, 2020, to protest the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on May 25. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)
Oklahoma City — A federal grand jury has indicted Tashella Sheri Amore Dickerson, the executive director of Black Lives Matter OKC, on charges that she diverted millions of dollars in donations and grant funds for personal use, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Indictment Details
According to court records, Dickerson, 52, was indicted earlier this month on 20 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering. The indictment alleges that BLM OKC raised more than $5.6 million beginning in 2020 — largely from online donors and national bail funds intended to post bail for individuals arrested during racial justice protests following the killing of George Floyd — and that Dickerson embezzled at least $3.15 million into personal accounts.
Alleged Misuse Of Funds
Prosecutors say the allegedly misappropriated funds were used for international travel to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, retail purchases, at least $50,000 in food and grocery deliveries for Dickerson and her children, the purchase of a personal vehicle, and six properties in Oklahoma City deeded either to her or to a company she controlled. The indictment also alleges she submitted false annual reports to the Arizona-based Alliance for Global Justice, which had administered donations for BLM OKC.
Potential Penalties
If convicted, Dickerson faces up to 20 years in federal prison and fines of up to $250,000 for each wire-fraud count, and up to 10 years in prison plus fines for each money-laundering count.
Response
In a Facebook Live video posted Thursday, Dickerson said she was not in custody and that she was "fine." She declined to offer a formal statement about the indictment, saying: "I am home. I am safe. I have confidence in our team."
Context
The Black Lives Matter movement began in 2013 and gained national prominence after the 2014 death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The Associated Press reported in October that the U.S. Justice Department was probing whether some leaders connected to the broader Black Lives Matter movement defrauded donors who contributed tens of millions of dollars in 2020; prosecutors say there is no immediate indication that Dickerson's indictment is tied to that separate investigation.
Court records do not list an attorney for Dickerson. Messages left at her mobile number and by email were not immediately returned.
