Rachel Dolezal, the former Spokane NAACP President outed for masquerading as a black woman, faces charges of welfare fraud and perjury that could land her a steep prison sentence.
KHQ NBC reports that Dolezal, who legally changed her name to Nkechi Diallo in 2016, is accused of 1st Degree Theft by Welfare Fraud, Perjury in the 2nd Degree, and False Verification for Public Assistance.
Because Dolezal changed her name, we’ll be referring to her as Nkechi Diallo. According to court documents, Diallo illegally received $8,747 in food assistance, and illegally received $100 in childcare assistance. Total restitution, according to the documents, is $8,847, allegedly stolen from August 2015 through November 2017.
The investigation into Diallo’s alleged theft started in March 2017 when a DSHS Office of Fraud and Accountability investigator received information that Diallo had written a book that got published. The investigator said he’d heard Diallo say she was getting public assistance, but also knew that a typical publishing contract included payments of $10,000 to $20,000.
The investigator conducted a review of Diallo’s records and found she’d been reporting her income was usually less than $500 per month, in child support payments. At one point when asked as to how she was paying her bills, she reported, “Barely! With help from friends and gifts.”
“The state of Washington seeks prosecution and restitution in this matter. In addition, the Department requests Nkechi Diallo be disqualified from receiving Food Assistance for at least a 12 month period for breaking a Food Assistance rule on purpose. This is known as an Intentional Program Violation.”
If convicted on all charges, Dolezal could be sentenced up to 15 years in prison.