BLM Leader Indicted on 25 Federal Counts of Fraud, Money Laundering
The executive director of Black Lives Matter Oklahoma has been charged with dozens of federal crimes, accused of embezzling millions in charitable donations meant for bail funds and social justice efforts and using the money to fund an extravagant personal lifestyle.
According to a newly unsealed federal indictment, Tashella Sheri Amore Dickerson, 52, was charged with 20 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering by a grand jury on December 3.
“For each count of wire fraud, Dickerson faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000,” the Department of Justice said in a statement. “For each count of money laundering, Dickerson faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transaction.”
Federal prosecutors allege Dickerson diverted over $3.5 million from accounts tied to Black Lives Matter Oklahoma (BLMOKC) into her own personal bank accounts. The indictment accuses her of spending the funds on vacations to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, six properties in Oklahoma City, tens of thousands in luxury shopping, and over $50,000 on food and grocery deliveries for herself and her family.
“Beginning in June 2020 and continuing through at least October 2025, Dickerson embezzled funds from BLMOKC’s accounts for her personal benefit,” the indictment states. “Dickerson deposited at least $3.15 million in returned bail checks into her personal accounts, rather than into BLMOKC’s accounts.”
The case marks one of the largest fraud prosecutions to emerge from the Black Lives Matter movement since 2020, when the organization and its affiliates raised hundreds of millions of dollars following the death of George Floyd.
According to prosecutors, BLMOKC raised more than $5.6 million from online donors and national bail funds during the 2020 protests. Much of the money came from the Community Justice Exchange, the Minnesota Freedom Fund, and the Massachusetts Bail Fund, and was intended to bail out protesters and support “racial justice” initiatives.
The indictment states that although BLMOKC was not a registered nonprofit, it raised money under the fiscal sponsorship of the Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ), an Arizona-based left-wing nonprofit. As the fiscal sponsor, AFGJ required BLMOKC to use its funds strictly for charitable purposes permitted under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code — and to provide full accounting upon request.
Instead, prosecutors say Dickerson “used interstate wire communications to submit two false annual reports to AFGJ” that concealed her personal use of the funds.
“She reported that she had used BLMOKC funds only for tax-exempt purposes,” the indictment reads. “She did not disclose that she used funds for her personal benefit.”
Federal agents say Dickerson funneled more than $3 million in returned bail checks into her personal accounts. She then used the money to fund a luxury lifestyle that included recreational travel to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, tens of thousands of dollars in retail shopping and designer goods, over $50,000 in restaurant and grocery deliveries, the purchase of a personal vehicle, and six real estate properties in Oklahoma City registered in her name or under Equity International, LLC, a shell company she controlled.
The indictment describes a years-long scheme in which Dickerson repeatedly lied to donors and AFGJ about how BLMOKC funds were being used. “Although BLMOKC was supposed to use national bail fund grants to post pretrial bail for individuals arrested in connection with protests for racial justice after the death of George Floyd,” prosecutors wrote, “Dickerson used those funds for personal enrichment.”
If convicted on all counts, Dickerson faces decades in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester announced the charges Wednesday, stating that the indictment “reflects a commitment to holding accountable anyone who exploits the public’s trust for personal gain — regardless of their politics or position.”
The case adds to a growing list of corruption scandals linked to local and national leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement. In recent years, several BLM-affiliated organizations have faced lawsuits or criminal charges over alleged misuse of donations.
