Federal authorities have charged Tashella Sheri Amore Dickerson, executive director of Black Lives Matter Oklahoma City, with 20 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering. The indictment reveals that Dickerson allegedly embezzled at least $3.15 million from the BLM chapter’s coffers between June 2020 and October 2025.
According to court documents, Dickerson diverted funds received from federal bail grants intended for post-riot race rioters into personal accounts. Instead of using the money to address community needs or release individuals from custody as promised, she allegedly deposited the cash into her own bank, PayPal, and CashApp accounts. The indictment states she used the embezzled funds for recreational travel—including trips to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic—and luxury expenses such as expensive retail shopping sprees, a personal vehicle registered in her name, six real estate properties, and food deliveries for herself and her children.
Dickerson also submitted false annual reports to Alliance for Global Justice, the organization’s fiscal sponsor, claiming all funds were spent on tax-exempt purposes. She allegedly concealed the diversion of money through her control of the chapter’s financial systems since its 2016 inception.
The indictment follows recent federal prosecutions of other BLM-affiliated activists. In Massachusetts, Monica Cannon-Grant pleaded guilty to multiple wire fraud and tax violations after defrauding donors by falsely claiming her Violence in Boston organization reduced violence. In Ohio, Tyree Conyers-Page was convicted for embezzling over $450,000 from a Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta group he misrepresented as a nonprofit.
Federal records show that only $30 million of the $90 million raised by BLM organizations between 2020 and 2022 went to charitable entities, while $22 million covered operational expenses. Additional funds were diverted to individuals linked to the movement, including security services for co-founder Patrisse Cullors’ father and consulting payments for board member Shalomyah Bowers.
Dickerson has been charged with up to 20 years in prison per wire fraud count and up to 10 years per money laundering charge. She stated in a recent video that she was “fine” but declined to comment directly on the indictment, framing it as evidence of her ongoing work.
