A once-prominent black civil rights leader in Washington state who was later revealed to be white is facing charges of welfare fraud.
Rachel Dolezal lost her job as president of a local NAACP chapter.
She legally changed her name to Nkechi Amare Diallo, which is an African moniker meaning “gift from the gods” and enrolled in welfare.
News station KHQ-TV in Spokane, Washington, reported that Ms Dolezal came under investigation after it became known she had published a book.
#InFullColor—@racheladolezal‘s nuanced and complex story of the path to discovering her true identity—now available wherever books are sold. pic.twitter.com/x6DuT8Bkdp
— BenBellaBooks (@BenBellaBooks) March 28, 2017
The former activist deposited nearly 84,000 US dollars (£63,000) into her bank account without reporting the majority of it, court documents say.
She illegally received 8,747 dollars (£6,500) of food assistance and 100 dollars (£75) in child care assistance between August 2015 and November 2017, they say.
They say she told investigators she “fully disclosed her information”.
