Brooklyn Nonprofit Exec Accused Of Stealing $99K In Donations: DA

BROOKLYN, NY — The former executive director of OKRA Project, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit that supports Black transgender people, has been accused of using a $99,000 bail fund for personal expenses and falsifying business records, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said on Tuesday.

According to Gonzalez, Dominique Morgan, 42, announced that OKRA would start a bail fund to bail people out of jail and then transferred $99,000 from the fund to her personal account in 2022.

Morgan is accused of using these funds for a $19,000 closet renovation, payments for a Mercedes Benz, purchases at clothing stores and meals at restaurants, Gonzalez said.

When OKRA asked Morgan for proof of payments toward bail, Morgan submitted 23 receipts, but OKRA determined that these records were all false, Gonzalez said.

“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."

Morgan was accused of one count of second-degree grand larceny and 23 counts of first-degree falsifying business records.

She was released without bail and ordered to return to court on Dec. 18. The defendant is facing a maximum sentence of five to 15 years in prison if convicted.