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Dominique Morgan, 42, was indicted on one count of second-degree grand larceny and 23 counts of first-degree falsifying business records during her time as executive director of the OKRA Project.
The former leader of a New York City nonprofit providing aid for Black transgender people has been accused of stealing almost $100,000 from the organization.
Dominique Morgan, 42, was indicted on one count of second-degree grand larceny and 23 counts of first-degree falsifying business records, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced Tuesday. The charges stem from her time as executive director of the OKRA Project, a mutual aid group in Brooklyn providing resources from food to bail funds for the Black trans community.
Morgan, a Black trans woman, is accused of transferring $99,000 to her personal account in July, 2022 under the guise of using the money to pay for bail funds, but instead using it on a $19,000 California Closet renovation, car payments for a Mercedes Benz, and other expensive purchases of apparel clothing and meals.
“The theft of nonprofit funds deprives communities of critical resources, erodes public trust, and cheats donors who give in good faith," Gonzalez said. "The defendant in this case allegedly stole bail funds meant to secure pre-trial release of indigent defendants, instead using the money for personal benefit. We will continue to investigate and prosecute all types of fraud to ensure that funds are not misappropriated or stolen.”
OKRA discovered the fraud after they asked Morgan for proof of the payments toward bail, and she submitted receipts for 23 individuals supposedly arrested in Fulton County, Georgia, and Douglas County, Nebraska. After auditing, OKRA discovered that the receipts were forged, and that no such people were detained in those counties at the time.
Gabrielle Souza, the current executive director of OKRA, toldThe New York Times that they “terminated” Morgan after finding the “financial discrepancies” and contacted Gonzalez's office.
"As an organization dedicated to uplifting the Black trans community, we are deeply committed to accountability and transparency," she said.
Morgan faces a maximum sentence of five to 15 years in prison if convicted. She has been released without bail and is due back in court on December 18.
