{"id":495,"date":"2026-05-18T23:35:50","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T23:35:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=495"},"modified":"2026-05-18T23:35:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T23:35:50","slug":"former-durham-committee-pac-chair-indicted-in-75k-embezzlement-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=495","title":{"rendered":"Former Durham Committee PAC chair indicted in $75K embezzlement case"},"content":{"rendered":"

A grand jury has indicted the former chair of an influential political action committee in Durham on multiple felony counts, following a year-long investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation.<\/p>\n

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Cassandra Stokes, the former chairperson of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People\u2019s Political Action Committee (PAC), is charged with two counts of felony embezzlement and one count of obtaining property by false pretenses.<\/p>\n

The indictment was issued Monday after the SBI\u2019s financial crime unit began investigating the theft of nearly $75,000 from the organization.<\/a> The committee\u2019s leadership triggered the probe after a 2024 transition in power revealed deep-seated \u201cfinancial malfeasance.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People is one of the most influential political engines in the state. Founded over 90 years ago, the organization has historically served as a cornerstone for Black political power in Durham, voter education, and candidate endorsements.<\/p>\n

According to court documents<\/a>, Stokes, 35, is accused of:<\/p>\n

Prosecutors allege Stokes converted the funds to her own use by writing checks to herself and \u201ccash,\u201d making unauthorized ATM and branch withdrawals and using the PAC\u2019s debit card for personal care and entertainment.<\/p>\n

The situation came to light early last year when former Sen. Floyd McKissick Jr. took over as the chairman of the executive committee. McKissick and then-PAC leaders Donald Hughes and Elaine O\u2019Neal discovered a lack of transparency and missing bank statements.<\/p>\n

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An audit by a certified public accountant confirmed the irregularities, leading McKissick to refer the matter to District Attorney Satana Deberry.<\/p>\n

The Political Action Committee is governed by State Board of Elections laws.<\/p>\n

After the discovery, the PAC faced scrutiny and the resignations of Hughes, O\u2019Neal, the former Durham mayor, and two other committee members. In an interview last year, McKissick told The News & Observer that the organization itself is a victim.<\/p>\n

Monday, he thanked the DA and SBI\u2019s offices for conducting a \u201cthorough\u201d investigation.<\/p>\n

\u201c The Durham Committee is grateful for the investigation that has resulted in these charges being brought and it looks forward to the judicial outcome of this case,\u201d he said in a statement.<\/p>\n

The N&O has reached out to the PAC for comment on the indictment.<\/p>\n

This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.<\/i><\/p>\n

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NC State Bureau of Investigation looked into missing funds, leading to indictment of former chair of the PAC of the Durham Committee has been charged.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":494,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nFormer Durham Committee PAC chair indicted in $75K embezzlement case - Durham Moving Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=495\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Former Durham Committee PAC chair indicted in $75K embezzlement case - 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