Rachel Dolezal, the former NAACP chapter leader who resigned from her position in 2015 after it was revealed that she was a white woman posing as African-American, is now facing felony theft charges for welfare fraud dating back to August 2015.
An investigation into Dolezal was opened in March 2017 when officials learned that she wrote a book and deposited nearly $84,000 into her bank account without reporting it. After a yearlong inquiry, investigators found that she illegally collected nearly $9,000 in food and childcare welfare assistance from August 2015 to November 2017.
During this time Dolezal, who changed her name to Nkechi Diallo in 2016, had claimed that she was making less than $500 a month through child support payments and help from friends.
Now she’s been charged with theft by welfare fraud, perjury, and false verification for public assistance, according to KHQ-TV. According to court documents, the state of Washington is seeking prosecution and restitution from Dolezal for “Intentional Program Violation.”
The disgraced activist told investigators she “fully disclosed” her financial information and refused to answer further questions.
Dolezal previously served as the NAACP chapter chair in Spokane, Wash., until her parents revealed that she was not African-American. The news, which gained national attention, cost the woman her teaching job at Eastern Washington University.
