A grand jury indicted Cassandra Stokes, former chairperson of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People's Political Action Committee, on two counts of felony embezzlement and one count of obtaining property by false pretenses. The indictment was issued Monday after a year-long State Bureau of Investigation probe.
Stokes, 35, is accused of embezzling about $31,500 in 2023 and about $43,475 in 2024 while leading the PAC. Prosecutors allege she converted funds by writing checks to herself and to cash, making unauthorized ATM and branch withdrawals, and using the PAC debit card for personal care and entertainment. The total obtained by false pretenses is alleged to be about $75,000.
The scheme came to light during a 2024 leadership transition. When former Sen. Floyd McKissick Jr. took over as chairman of the executive committee, he and then-PAC leaders Donald Hughes and Elaine O'Neal found missing bank statements and a near-total lack of financial transparency. A certified public accountant's audit confirmed the irregularities. McKissick referred the matter to District Attorney Satana Deberry, whose office worked alongside the SBI's financial crime unit.
The fallout reshaped the organization. Hughes, O'Neal (a former Durham mayor), and two other committee members resigned after the discovery.
The stakes extend beyond one case. The Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People is more than 90 years old and has long been central to Black political power in the state, shaping voter education and candidate endorsements across Durham and beyond. The PAC operates under State Board of Elections laws.
McKissick said Monday the organization is grateful for the investigation. "The Durham Committee looks forward to the judicial outcome of this case," he said in a statement.