D.A.T.S.M.O.M. founder sentenced for stealing from COVID-19 relief funds

The founder of a Montgomery nonprofit that helps children on the autism spectrum was sentenced before a federal judge earlier this month.

U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson sentenced 39-year-old Tametria Conner Dantzler, of Montgomery, to a month in prison. In addition, she will have three years of supervised release. As part of that release, she will spend a year in jail on the weekends.

According to court records, Judge Thompson said that “the court must take on the extremely difficult task here of striking a balance between the need for punishment and deterrence and the need to minimize harm” to Dantzler’s special needs children.

Dantzler is the head of D.A.T.S.M.O.M., which stands for Disability as an Ability toward Success: Moms on the Move. The nonprofit organization provides resources and programs for families with children on the autism spectrum.

Dantzler pleaded guilty in August 2024 to wire fraud and money laundering charges related to loans she got from the COVID-19 Era Relief Funds.

According to her plea agreement and other court records, in June of 2020, Dantzler made false statements on EIDL applications. Dantzler claimed she created companies, including Conner Consulting LLC, and represented that the companies met the program requirements for EIDL loans. In all, Dantzler obtained approximately $927,338.47 in grants and forgivable loans to which she was not entitled. Judge Thompson also ordered for Dantzler to pay that back.

According to the same court documents, Dantzler also accepted fees or traded fake “payroll checks” in exchange for assisting others to obtain an additional $1,049,864 in grants and forgivable loans to which they were not entitled. Also in her plea agreement, Dantzler admitted she used some of the proceeds for unauthorized purposes, such as buying a house and paying off a vehicle for her husband.