A federal grand jury has indicted Tashella Sheri Amore Dickerson, 52, the former Executive Director of Black Lives Matter Oklahoma City (BLMOKC), on 20 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering.
According to the Justice Department’s indictment, Dickerson served as BLMOKC’s executive director from at least 2016. The document states that during her tenure, she had access to BLMOKC’s bank, PayPal, and Cash App accounts.
The indictment alleges that millions of dollars in grant funds were improperly spent on international trips, groceries, and personal real estate.
BLMOKC was not a registered tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) but accepted charitable donations through its fiscal sponsor, the Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ). AFGJ required BLMOKC to use funds only as permitted by Section 501(c)(3) and prohibited the use of funds for real estate without AFGJ’s consent.
Beginning in late spring 2020, BLMOKC raised more than $5.6 million from online donors and national bail funds, including the Community Justice Exchange, Massachusetts Bail Fund, and Minnesota Freedom Fund. Most of these funds were routed through AFGJ to BLMOKC.
The indictment states that Dickerson embezzled funds from BLMOKC’s accounts for her personal benefit starting in June 2020 and continuing through at least October 2025. Specifically, she deposited at least $3.15 million in returned bail checks into her personal accounts rather than BLMOKC’s.
FBI Director Kash Patel remarked: “An executive director with Black Lives Matter allegedly used her position to steal donor money and enrich herself. She has now been charged with wire fraud and money laundering.”
If convicted, Dickerson faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count of wire fraud, as well as up to 10 years in prison and fines for each count of money laundering.
In a live video posted on her Facebook page, Dickerson stated she was “not in custody” and “fine.” She added: “I cannot make an official comment about what transpired today. I am home. I am safe. I have confidence in our team.”
