What did Pamela Moses do? Memphis BLM founder sentenced to 6 years in prison for illegal voting

Pamela Moses, the founder of the Black Lives Matter chapter in Memphis, is being imprisoned for six years after illegally registering to vote. The 44-year-old activist was ineligible after procuring felony charges in 2015. Following her recent conviction, she stated that she was under the impression that she was allowed to vote from 2019 onwards.

Moses has a long list of convictions under her name. She pleaded guilty for ten counts after tampering with evidence concerning a judicial case that stated that she harassed a Shelby County judge.

Pamela Moses was convicted for six years (Image via Shelby County Sheriff's Office)

She reportedly stalked and harassed the judge between February and March 2014 by pretending to be a lawyer attempting to file a complaint against the judge. The incident took place in Tennessee, where the aforementioned illegal activity debars a person from voting permanently.

In 2019, the activist attempted to stand as a mayoral candidate in Memphis. However, she was unable to do so due to her probation. She was told in the same year that her right to vote had been restored. This right was later revoked due to being an error.

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Pamela Moses defends herself in court

On Friday, Pamela Moses’ defense lawyer Bede Anyanwu told The Washington Post that his client’s case was “very disturbing.” He added:

“This case is one about the disparity in sentencing and punishment – and one that shouldn’t have happened.”

Criminal Court Judge Mark Ward said:

“You tricked the probation department into giving you documents saying you were off probation.”

Pamela Moses said in court that she believed her voting rights had been restored after receiving a letter claiming to have done so. She also mentioned that she “did not falsify anything”.

WHBQ reported that Judge Mark Ward said he would consider putting Moses on probation after serving nine months of her sentence. She is also provided to maintain good behaviour and participate in prison programs.

Defending his client, Anyanwau told The Post that a few counts against his client were from when Moses was in her 20s. He added that she refused a plea deal after believing that she had done nothing wrong. He also mentioned in an interview that Moses believes that her sentence is beyond the evidence presented in court.

Moses' lawyer also hopes to get her case back in court in June.