Memphis BLM chapter founder convicted of illegally voting, given 6-year prison term
The founder of Black Lives Matter Memphis, Tennessee chapter has recently been sentenced to six years and one day in prison for illegally registering to vote in 2019. 44-year-old Pamela Moses committed the voting offense while on probation according to the Shelby County District Attorney’s office. Moses has 16 prior criminal convictions according to FOX 11.
On April 29, 2015, Moses pled guilty to two felonies, tampering with evidence and forgery according to the DA’s office. Moses pled guilty to misdemeanor counts of perjury, stalking, theft under $500 and escape. The activist was placed on probation for seven years. According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, those convictions come from Moses stalking and harassing a Shelby County judge.
Moses reportedly impersonated an attorney and a notary public while attempting to file a complaint against the same judge.
Due to those convictions, Moses lost her rights of citizenship, which includes her right to vote. The DA’s office says she is permanently deemed ineligible to register to vote in Tennessee due to her tampering with evidence conviction.
On Sept. 3, 2019, Moses filed a certificate of restoration and application for voter registration with the Shelby County Election Commission.
The DA’s office said after this action, she falsely asserted she was eligible to vote and her probation sentence had expired, which was not true.
Moses claimed no one had explained her 2015 guilty plea would mean she would lose her voting rights.
“They never mentioned anything about voting,” she said according to The Guardian. “They never mentioned anything about not voting, being able to vote none of that.”
Moses’ attorney, Bede Anyanwu, said his client will appeal her sentencing.
“She believes the sentencing was beyond the evidence that was presented,” Anyanwu told The Washington Post.