Federal authorities charged Black Lives Matter leaders and their husband with fraud over allegedly participating in illicit activities related her non-profit organization. Authorities arrested the couple just days after they announced that an investigation was underway. The activists will be appearing in court soon.
Monica Cannon Grant was a well-known leftist activist after George Floyd’s death. After organizing rallies which attracted thousands, she received praises from many different organizations. Violence in Boston Inc. is her non-profit organization. It works with at-risk young people to reduce violence in the area.
Boston Globe reported:
In a June 2019 ceremony at the Suffolk district attorney’s office, Monica Cannon-Grant was handed a check for $6,000, a grant awarded to her nonprofit, Violence in Boston Inc., to take a group of at-risk young men to a retreat in Philadelphia.
The retreat was ostensibly intended to “give these young men exposure to communities outside of the violence riddled neighborhoods that they navigate daily” among other things, according to Cannon-Grant’s grant proposal.
Federal prosecutors claim that Clark Grant and Cannon Grant never brought the children along on their trip. The couple are accused of using the grant money for their own purposes. According to the couple, they used the money for vacation in Maryland and food at different restaurants as well as rent cars and buy groceries. They also received services at a manicure salon.
On Tuesday, law enforcement detained the husband and wife of an activist for using a substantial portion of $1 million that they had received to themselves. The prosecutors claim that they used the $1 million to purchase a vehicle and rent for relatives.
Starting at The Globe:
Cannon Grant, 41, along with Clark (38), are facing an 18-count charge indictment. They were charged with defrauding donors, illegally collecting approximately $100,000 in pandemic unemployment benefit benefits and lying about a mortgage application.
This is the first indictment against Cannon-Grant. It also brings new charges against her husband. Federal agents raided the Taunton house in October and arrested him. In addition to illegally collecting unemployment pandemic benefits, he was previously charged for making false statements regarding a mortgage loan application.
Prosecutors claim Cannon-Grant reported to the IRS and state attorney general’s charity division that she was not paid a salary from her nonprofit, but paid herself $2,788 per week.
Cannon Grant repeatedly claims she is innocent. Cannon-Grant stated on a web radio program that the accusations she is facing are made by white supremacists as well as black people jealous of her praise in the community.
Outside Boston’s federal courthouse, her lawyer, Robert Goldstein, said they “are extremely disappointed the government rushed to judgment here.”
Continued the attorney:
“VIB [Violence in Boston]Monica and Monica were open to cooperating, and the production of records continues. An incomplete record of facts does not allow citizens to draw fair conclusions. This is especially true for Monica, who has tirelessly worked in her community’s best interests. We remain fully confident Monica will be vindicated when a complete factual record emerges.”
The couple may have difficulty winning the case, however. The Globe Also reported:
Prosecutors also alleged the couple received pandemic unemployment benefits while Cannon-Grant was receiving tens of thousands of dollars in “diversity” consulting fees from private companies, including $75,000 from a Boston media company that is not named in the indictment but has been identified as the Phantom Gourmet television program. The company couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday.
Cannon Grant received $33,426 from pandemic funds. Grant received $67,000. Grant had a full time job as a driver for a transportation company.
Prosecutors stated that Cannon-Grant sent a text message on March 26, 2021, which read: “Unemployment caught my ass. Asked me to provide documents by June unless I’ll have to pay it all back.”
Cannon Grant is clearly not happy with this situation. Cannon-Grant’s claim that it is all a scheme by white supremacists, and an envy-filled group of black people is as thin as Taylor Swift eating a Keto diet. Black Lives Matter is about to witness another scandal.
The global Black Lives Matter movement has received the most attention, but local Black Lives Matter chapters have not been given much spotlight. For obvious reasons, this story will not make it to national headlines. However, if other groups in the area have the same legal problems as the one at hand, this will be another major step towards the end of the movement.
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