An Executive Director of Black Lives Matter Oklahoma City was charged in December with wire fraud and money laundering. The illegal activities stemmed from the organization’s fundraising efforts during the aftermath of George Floyd’s death while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in May 2020.

Tashella Sheri Amore Dickerson was charged with “20 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering,” according to an unsealed recent grand jury indictment, according to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Oklahoma. Dickerson appeared in court on Thursday for the first time related to the charges. Two federal agencies, the IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, led the investigation that resulted in the charges and indictment.

“On Dec. 3, a federal grand jury returned a 25-count indictment charging Dickerson with 20 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering,” noted the release. “For each count of wire fraud, Dickerson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. For each count of money laundering, Dickerson faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transaction.”

Dickerson initially began her role as executive director in 2016, according to the Department of Justice. In 2020, during the George Floyd riots, Black Lives Matter received millions of dollars in donations from people across the nation. BLMOKC was no different, raising more than $5.6 million in donations. BLMOKC was allegedly “not a registered tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code,” however still accepted charitable contributions through an affiliation with a social justice organization known as Alliance for Global Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Oklahoma reported.

“AFGJ served as a fiscal sponsor to BLMOKC and required BLMOKC to use its funds only as permitted by Section 501(c)(3),” noted the press release. “AFGJ also required BLMOKC to fully account upon request for the disbursement of all funds received and prohibited BLMOKC from using its funds to purchase real estate without AFGJ’s consent.”

The funds collected were supposed to be used “to post pretrial bail” for protesters arrested during the George Floyd riots and demonstrations in 2020, the attorney’s office highlighted.

“According to the Indictment, BLMOKC was supposed to use these national bail fund grants to post pretrial bail for individuals arrested in connection with protests for racial justice after the death of George Floyd,” noted the release. “When bail funds were returned to BLMOKC, the national bail funds sometimes allowed BLMOKC to keep all or a portion of the grant funding to establish a revolving bail fund, or for BLMOKC’s social justice mission, as permitted by Section 501(c)(3).”

“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,” read the release. “The Indictment alleges Dickerson deposited at least $3.15 million in returned bail checks into her personal accounts, rather than into BLMOKC’s accounts.”

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Dickerson is accused of using the misappropriated funds for a variety of personal purchases and endeavors, including six properties in Oklahoma City, travel to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica for Dickerson and her associates, “tens of thousands of dollars” in retail shopping purchases, a personal vehicle, and $50,000 in grocery deliveries for “herself and her children.”

“The Indictment further alleges that Dickerson used interstate wire communications to submit two false annual reports to AFGJ on behalf of BLMOKC,” noted the release. “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.”