FIRST ON KHQ: Former Spokane NAACP president Rachel Dolezal faci - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com
Former Spokane Chapter NAACP President Rachel Dolezal is now facing legal trouble that could land her behind bars. KHQ has confirmed 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. Her potential punishment under RCW 74.08.331 could include up to 15 years in prison.
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.
READ IT: Newly released court documents in Nkechi A. Diallo theft case
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.
Previous Coverage: Parents of Spokane NAACP President Rachel Dolezal claim she's not black
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."
However, a subpoena for her self-employment records, which included copies of her bank statements from 2015 to present, tells a different story. The bank records, court documents say, showed Diallo had deposited about $83,924 into her bank account in several monthly installments between August 2015 and September 2017, without reporting the income to the Department of Social and Health Services. The money, according to the case file, had come from authoring her book, 'In Full Color,' speaking engagements, soap making, doll making, and the sale of her art.
RELATED: Rachel Dolezal steps down as President of Spokane NAACP
During the course of the investigation, Diallo did report a "change of circumstance" to the Department of Social and Health Services, saying she did a one-time job in October of 2017 worth $20,000, and Diallo voluntarily came in for an interview with fraud investigators last month. But when questioned about possible discrepancies in her income reporting, Diallo stated she "fully disclosed her information and asked, 'what discrepancies?". Diallo then told the investigator that she "did not have to answer" any more questions, since she had not waived her Miranda rights, which ended the interview.
RELATED: Baltimore Book Festival boots Rachel Dolezal after backlash
According to the court documents, "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."
KHQ's Peter Maxwell went to Diallo's house to ask her about these charges on Thursday. Hear her response tonight at 5.
Related coverage:
http://www.khq.com/story/35550953/baltimore-book-festival-boots-rachel-dolezal-after-backlash
http://www.khq.com/story/29327720/former-student-reflects-on-rachel-dolezals-past
http://www.khq.com/story/33332407/former-naacp-leader-rachel-dolezal-tapped-for-mlk-day-event
http://www.khq.com/story/29317969/rachel-dolezals-brother-speaks-out
http://www.khq.com/story/29348284/rachel-dolezal-i-will-not-resign
http://www.khq.com/story/29337584/rachel-dolezal-and-the-word-transracial
http://www.khq.com/story/29311298/rachel-dolezal-releases-statement-to-naacp-members
http://www.khq.com/story/29356286/city-council-votes-rachel-dolezal-off-ombudsman-commission
http://www.khq.com/story/29322279/rachel-dolezal-steps-down-as-president-of-spokane-naacp
http://www.khq.com/story/29308121/timeline-rachel-dolezal-in-the-news-over-the-years
Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor closed indefinitely
Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor closed indefinitely
Updated: Saturday, May 26 2018 2:33 PM EDT 2018-05-26 18:33:58 GMT
HONOLULU (AP) - Engineers say damage to the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu was worse than expected and it will remain closed indefinitely. Hawaii News Now reports boat transportation to the attraction was suspended May 6 after one of the vessel operators noticed a crack on the outside of the memorial.
>>HONOLULU (AP) - Engineers say damage to the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu was worse than expected and it will remain closed indefinitely. Hawaii News Now reports boat transportation to the attraction was suspended May 6 after one of the vessel operators noticed a crack on the outside of the memorial.
>>Man refused beer on American Airlines flight starts midair brawl
Man refused beer on American Airlines flight starts midair brawl
Updated: Saturday, May 26 2018 6:18 PM EDT 2018-05-26 22:18:39 GMT
Photo: Bill Bolduc
MIAMI - An American Airlines passenger on a flight from Saint Croix to Miami caused a commotion in midair Wednesday when he was refused beer. The whole ordeal was caught on camera by a fellow passenger. The passenger, identified as Jason Felix in court documents, was on American Airlines flight 1293.
>>MIAMI - An American Airlines passenger on a flight from Saint Croix to Miami caused a commotion in midair Wednesday when he was refused beer. The whole ordeal was caught on camera by a fellow passenger. The passenger, identified as Jason Felix in court documents, was on American Airlines flight 1293.
>>Racist flyers pop up all over downtown Spokane again
Racist flyers pop up all over downtown Spokane again
Updated: Saturday, May 26 2018 9:33 PM EDT 2018-05-27 01:33:48 GMT
Spokane, Wash. These flyers were found once again on Saturday placed all over downtown Spokane. Back in March, a group called Identity Evropa put racist posters on Eastern Universities campus. Roberto Rodriguez was walking downtown and happened to catch a glimpse of the flyers "With these posters my thoughts on them is why are we having them up?" questioned Rodriguez. Roberto understands that groups have the right to free speech. But Roberto wants...
>>Spokane, Wash. These flyers were found once again on Saturday placed all over downtown Spokane. Back in March, a group called Identity Evropa put racist posters on Eastern Universities campus. Roberto Rodriguez was walking downtown and happened to catch a glimpse of the flyers "With these posters my thoughts on them is why are we having them up?" questioned Rodriguez. Roberto understands that groups have the right to free speech. But Roberto wants...
>>Mysterious wolf-like creature shot in Montana
Mysterious wolf-like creature shot in Montana
Updated: Thursday, May 24 2018 7:58 PM EDT 2018-05-24 23:58:21 GMT
Image Courtesy KXLO via KFBB
Image Courtesy KXLO via KFBB
DENTON, Mont. - A large wolf-like animal was shot and killed May 16 by a rancher near Denton, Montana. It now has wildlife officials and the public wondering what it was, according to KFBB. The animal came within several hundred yards of the rancher’s livestock. Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) said in a statement the rancher shot it and reported it as required by law. The animal was a young, non-lactating female and a canid, a
>>DENTON, Mont. - A large wolf-like animal was shot and killed May 16 by a rancher near Denton, Montana. It now has wildlife officials and the public wondering what it was, according to KFBB. The animal came within several hundred yards of the rancher’s livestock. Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) said in a statement the rancher shot it and reported it as required by law. The animal was a young, non-lactating female and a canid, a
>>FIRST ON KHQ: Former Spokane NAACP president Rachel Dolezal facing felony theft charges for welfare fraud
FIRST ON KHQ: Former Spokane NAACP president Rachel Dolezal facing felony theft charges for welfare fraud
Updated: Friday, May 25 2018 2:09 AM EDT 2018-05-25 06:09:50 GMT
SPOKANE, Wash. - Former Spokane Chapter NAACP President Rachel Dolezal is now facing legal trouble that could land her behind bars. KHQ has confirmed 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.
>>SPOKANE, Wash. - Former Spokane Chapter NAACP President Rachel Dolezal is now facing legal trouble that could land her behind bars. KHQ has confirmed 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. Her potential punishment under RCW 74.08.331 could include up to 15 years in prison.
>>Post Falls man killed in motorcycle crash north of Wilbur
Post Falls man killed in motorcycle crash north of Wilbur
Updated: Saturday, May 26 2018 8:38 PM EDT 2018-05-27 00:38:35 GMT
Spokane man dead after rollover crash in Oregon
WILBUR, Wash. - Washington State Patrol reports a Post Falls man was killed in a motorcycle crash Saturday afternoon in Lincoln County. Troopers say it happened just after noon Saturday on State Route 21, about eight miles east of Wilbur. 75-year-old Larry Everett Merriman was headed northbound on the road, driving a black Yamaha XVS11AP motorcycle.
>>WILBUR, Wash. - Washington State Patrol reports a Post Falls man was killed in a motorcycle crash Saturday afternoon in Lincoln County. Troopers say it happened just after noon Saturday on State Route 21, about eight miles east of Wilbur. 75-year-old Larry Everett Merriman was headed northbound on the road, driving a black Yamaha XVS11AP motorcycle.
>>
Backchannel, ‘Dracula’ help free Utah man in Venezuela
Backchannel, ‘Dracula’ help free Utah man in Venezuela
Updated: Sunday, May 27 2018 9:56 AM EDT 2018-05-27 13:56:56 GMT
WASHINGTON (AP) - A secret backchannel led by a veteran Republican Senate staffer and a flamboyant Venezuelan official nicknamed “Dracula” broke through hostile relations between the two governments to secure the release of American prisoner Joshua Holt, who traveled to the South American country for love and ended up in jail, without a trial, for two years.
>>WASHINGTON (AP) - A secret backchannel led by a veteran Republican Senate staffer and a flamboyant Venezuelan official nicknamed “Dracula” broke through hostile relations between the two governments to secure the release of American prisoner Joshua Holt, who traveled to the South American country for love and ended up in jail, without a trial, for two years.
>>US Gulf Coast braces for impact as Alberto approaches
US Gulf Coast braces for impact as Alberto approaches
Updated: Sunday, May 27 2018 9:53 AM EDT 2018-05-27 13:53:21 GMT
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Normally packed with vacationers over the Memorial Day weekend, beaches along the eastern U.S. Gulf Coast were largely empty Sunday as a slowly intensifying storm carrying brisk winds and heavy rain approached. Subtropical Storm Alberto - the first named storm of the 2018 hurricane season - prompted Florida, Alabama and Mississippi to launch emergency preparations Saturday.
>>ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Normally packed with vacationers over the Memorial Day weekend, beaches along the eastern U.S. Gulf Coast were largely empty Sunday as a slowly intensifying storm carrying brisk winds and heavy rain approached. Subtropical Storm Alberto - the first named storm of the 2018 hurricane season - prompted Florida, Alabama and Mississippi to launch emergency preparations Saturday.
>>Budget battle brews as Trump threatens another shutdown
Budget battle brews as Trump threatens another shutdown
Updated: Sunday, May 27 2018 9:44 AM EDT 2018-05-27 13:44:17 GMT
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump has warned Congress that he will never sign another foot-tall, $1 trillion-plus government-wide spending bill like the one he did in March. His message to lawmakers in both parties: Get your act together before the next budget lands on my desk. After a brief government shutdown earlier this year, Democrats and Republicans now agree on the need for budgeting day-to-day operations of government by the old-fashioned way.
>>WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump has warned Congress that he will never sign another foot-tall, $1 trillion-plus government-wide spending bill like the one he did in March. His message to lawmakers in both parties: Get your act together before the next budget lands on my desk. After a brief government shutdown earlier this year, Democrats and Republicans now agree on the need for budgeting day-to-day operations of government by the old-fashioned way.
>>Adams County woman considered "danger to children" turns herself in; child safe
Adams County woman considered "danger to children" turns herself in; child safe
Updated: Saturday, May 26 2018 9:47 PM EDT 2018-05-27 01:47:36 GMT
Yoci L. Godinez-Bustos
RITZVILLE, Wash.- UPDATE: The Adams County Sheriff's Office says Yoci Godinez-Bustos turned herself in to authorities Saturday. Adams County deputies said on Facebook that the baby she was traveling with is safe and thanked her family members and friends who helped her decide to turn herself in.
>>RITZVILLE, Wash.- UPDATE: The Adams County Sheriff's Office says Yoci Godinez-Bustos turned herself in to authorities Saturday. Adams County deputies said on Facebook that the baby she was traveling with is safe and thanked her family members and friends who helped her decide to turn herself in.
>>Seoul: North Korea committed to US summit, denuclearization
Seoul: North Korea committed to US summit, denuclearization
Updated: Saturday, May 26 2018 9:35 PM EDT 2018-05-27 01:35:07 GMT
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korea's president says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un remains committed to holding a summit with President Donald Trump and to the "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." South Korean President Moon Jae-in met Kim at the border on Saturday for the second time in a month to discuss how to keep Kim's summit with Trump on a track.
>>SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korea's president says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un remains committed to holding a summit with President Donald Trump and to the "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." South Korean President Moon Jae-in met Kim at the border on Saturday for the second time in a month to discuss how to keep Kim's summit with Trump on a track.
>>Racist flyers pop up all over downtown Spokane again
Racist flyers pop up all over downtown Spokane again
Updated: Saturday, May 26 2018 9:33 PM EDT 2018-05-27 01:33:48 GMT
Spokane, Wash. These flyers were found once again on Saturday placed all over downtown Spokane. Back in March, a group called Identity Evropa put racist posters on Eastern Universities campus. Roberto Rodriguez was walking downtown and happened to catch a glimpse of the flyers "With these posters my thoughts on them is why are we having them up?" questioned Rodriguez. Roberto understands that groups have the right to free speech. But Roberto wants...
>>Spokane, Wash. These flyers were found once again on Saturday placed all over downtown Spokane. Back in March, a group called Identity Evropa put racist posters on Eastern Universities campus. Roberto Rodriguez was walking downtown and happened to catch a glimpse of the flyers "With these posters my thoughts on them is why are we having them up?" questioned Rodriguez. Roberto understands that groups have the right to free speech. But Roberto wants...
>>Trump welcomes freed American after 'ordeal'
Trump welcomes freed American after 'ordeal'
Updated: Saturday, May 26 2018 9:30 PM EDT 2018-05-27 01:30:17 GMT
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump has welcomed to the White House an American held for two years in a Venezuelan jail, saying the Utah man has undergone a "very tough ordeal." Twenty-six-year-old Joshua Holt and his wife arrived Saturday evening at Washington Dulles International Airport.
>>WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump has welcomed to the White House an American held for two years in a Venezuelan jail, saying the Utah man has undergone a "very tough ordeal." Twenty-six-year-old Joshua Holt and his wife arrived Saturday evening at Washington Dulles International Airport.
>>Scouts honor veterans for Memorial Day with gravesite flags
Scouts honor veterans for Memorial Day with gravesite flags
Updated: Saturday, May 26 2018 9:22 PM EDT 2018-05-27 01:22:16 GMT
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Thousands of scouts have placed American flags on the graves of veterans in a ceremony ahead of Memorial Day. More than 6,000 children including Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts participated in the event Saturday at Los Angeles National Cemetery. Each scout placed a flag in the ground by each grave and saluted.
>>LOS ANGELES (AP) - Thousands of scouts have placed American flags on the graves of veterans in a ceremony ahead of Memorial Day. More than 6,000 children including Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts participated in the event Saturday at Los Angeles National Cemetery. Each scout placed a flag in the ground by each grave and saluted.
>>Moses Lake officers help double amputee finish 5K fun run
Moses Lake officers help double amputee finish 5K fun run
Updated: Saturday, May 26 2018 8:55 PM EDT 2018-05-27 00:55:21 GMT
MOSES LAKE, Wash. - A Moses Lake man's fighting spirit was on full display Saturday morning during a 5K fun run in town. Double amputee Kevin Wheatcroft was running the race, par of Moses Lake's Spring Festival, when police say he had an issue with one of his prosthetic legs. Wheatcroft refused to give up though, and was escorted to the finish by Moses Lake Officers Francis and Harum.
>>MOSES LAKE, Wash. - A Moses Lake man's fighting spirit was on full display Saturday morning during a 5K fun run in town. Double amputee Kevin Wheatcroft was running the race, par of Moses Lake's Spring Festival, when police say he had an issue with one of his prosthetic legs. Wheatcroft refused to give up though, and was escorted to the finish by Moses Lake Officers Francis and Harum.
>>Post Falls man killed in motorcycle crash north of Wilbur
Post Falls man killed in motorcycle crash north of Wilbur
Updated: Saturday, May 26 2018 8:38 PM EDT 2018-05-27 00:38:35 GMT
Spokane man dead after rollover crash in Oregon
WILBUR, Wash. - Washington State Patrol reports a Post Falls man was killed in a motorcycle crash Saturday afternoon in Lincoln County. Troopers say it happened just after noon Saturday on State Route 21, about eight miles east of Wilbur. 75-year-old Larry Everett Merriman was headed northbound on the road, driving a black Yamaha XVS11AP motorcycle.
>>WILBUR, Wash. - Washington State Patrol reports a Post Falls man was killed in a motorcycle crash Saturday afternoon in Lincoln County. Troopers say it happened just after noon Saturday on State Route 21, about eight miles east of Wilbur. 75-year-old Larry Everett Merriman was headed northbound on the road, driving a black Yamaha XVS11AP motorcycle.
>>