Boston BLM leader, husband charged with fraud, conspiracy
Category: News & Politics
Via: vic-eldred • 3 years ago • 88 commentsBy: Yaron Steinbuch (New York Post)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
A prominent Black Lives Matter leader in Boston and her husband have been charged with using a $6,000 grant to take at-risk youth to a Philadelphia retreat on themselves — for a getaway to Maryland, restaurants and shopping sprees, among other things.
Monica Cannon-Grant, 41, founder of the nonprofit Violence in Boston, and her husband,, Clark Grant, 38, were charged Tuesday in an 18-count federal indictment, including charges for wire fraud and making false statements to a mortgage lending business.
In June 2019, she was given a check for $6,000 for a trip to Philly "to give these young men exposure to communities outside of the violence riddled neighborhoods that they navigate daily," the Boston Globe reported.
Monica Cannon-Grant and her husband have been charged with using a $6,000 grant for at-risk youth for a getaway to Maryland, restaurants and a shopping spree.
Instead, the couple used the money to take a vacation to Maryland, eat at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Shake Shack and other eateries, and pay for car rentals, Walmart purchases and visits to a nail salon, the feds allege.
The indictment charges them in connection with three separate schemes — defrauding donors, lying on a mortgage application and illegally collecting about $100,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits, according to the Globe.
Clark Grant had already been charged by the feds for allegedly engaging in pandemic-assistance fraud after a raid at the couple's Taunton home last year, the news outlet reported.
Monica Cannon-Grant received the grant money to show at-risk youth "communities outside of the violence riddled neighborhoods that they navigate daily."
He was slapped with charges of illegally collecting unemployment benefits and making false statements on a mortgage application.
On Tuesday, Cannon-Grant was arrested at her home on charges the couple raised over $1 million in grants and donations for people in need, but took a significant amount of it for themselves, the Globe said.
They allegedly used some of the money to pay rent on their Boston apartment and buy a car for a relative, officials said.
When Violence in Boston was launched in 2017, it operated out of Cannon-Grant's Roxbury home, but by 2020 the nonprofit had moved to a sprawling site in Hyde Park, according to the paper.
It had amassed more than $50,000 in donations by April 2020, according to the feds.
Monica Cannon-Grant and her husband, Clark Grant, were charged with defrauding donors, lying on a mortgage application and illegally collecting about $100,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits.
Prosecutors said that in October 2020, Cannon-Grant began paying herself $2,788 a week, though she had reported to the IRS and the state attorney general's charity division that she received no salary, according to the Globe.
On Tuesday, a judge released Cannon-Grant on personal recognizance and told her she may continue to work her nonprofit, which runs a food pantry, but cannot handle its finances.
Cannon-Grant has proclaimed her innocence and declined to comment Tuesday outside the Boston federal courthouse.
Her attorney, Robert Goldstein, said in a statement that "we are extremely disappointed the government rushed to judgment here."
"(Violence in Boston) and Monica have been fully cooperating and their production of records remains ongoing. Drawing conclusions from an incomplete factual record does not represent the fair and fully informed process a citizen deserves from its government, especially someone like Monica who has worked tirelessly on behalf of her community," he said.
A judge released Monica Cannon-Grant on personal recognizance and told her she may continue to work her nonprofit but cannot handle its finances.
"We remain fully confident Monica will be vindicated when a complete factual record emerges," the lawyer added.
The feds did not disclose how much of the nonprofit's money was diverted to the couple's private accounts.
Cannon-Grant, who has been honored as a Bostonian of the Year by the Boston Globe Magazine and as Beantown's "best social justice advocate" by Boston Magazine, rose to prominence in 2020 after organizing a march to protest the killing of George Floyd and other black citizens at the hands of police.
Donald Osgood, one of her many supporters, said the charges did not change his feelings.
"My opinion stands as I know her work," he told the Globe in an email. "She has helped way too many people and innocent until proven guilty is the American way.
"She has provided food, Ubers, hotels to many of the clients she served since doing this work. A lot of the things she's done for the community were out of pocket expenses and others chipping in. Let's see where this goes. I still have faith in her work which she continues to do even under these circumstances," Osgood added.
Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden's spokesman Jim Borghesani told the Globe that "this is a disturbing violation of the public trust and should not reflect on the organizations that used asset forfeiture funds for their intended purpose."
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Howie Carr had the following questions for us to ponder this morning:
Is Monica still the Boston Globe’s “Bostonian of the Year?”
Does Boston Magazine still think she’s “the best social justice advocate in Boston?”
Do the Boston Celtics still consider her “a hero among us?”
Does the Boston City Council still offer her “congratulations” after her 18-count indictment?
Does the Roxbury Unity Community still consider her a “Leader of Tomorrow?”
She has provided food, Ubers, hotels to many of the clients she served since doing this work. A lot of the things she's done for the community were out of pocket expenses and others chipping in.
I don’t know them but this person does. If they’re guilty then they deserve punishment, but it’s clear that they didn’t get into their position by never helping anyone ever.
I recently learned of white person who took advantage of pandemic funds to the tune of 7 million dollars. I won’t get into what business this person created, but it has no employees of significance and is clearly just a shell to dump free government money into. This person has never helped anyone but themself in their entire life, and so far is getting away with their scam scot free. As far as the qualifications to run a multimillion dollar business, this person’s last job was pouring wine in a tasting room, if that tells you anything. This person belongs in prison, and it’s upsetting to me that the family members who know about the scam and told me about it are agreeing that their family member belongs in prison, but not doing anything about it.
Stick to the 'topic' Hal, it upsets the finger painters if you don't.
That will do.
The 57 people the Justice Department charged with trying to steal millions in PPP loans - The Washington Post
Nine charged with $24 million COVID-relief fraud scheme | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov)
Four people charged in $35m Covid relief fraud scheme (yahoo.com)
The previous Administration handed out money like candy...
The current Administration just named a federal prosecutor to track down all of the fraudsters...
Justice Dept. names top prosecutor to pursue COVID-19 relief fraud cases worth billions - UPI.com
What a grift that organization is.
About the only thing they accomplished was bailing out that anti-Semitic assassin in Louisville.
I say thank God. Imagine if they dedicated their time and money to their "goals?"
About the only thing they accomplished was bailing out that anti-Semitic assassin in Louisville.
Yup, (don't forget the riots) and they could have done so much worse.
But they are so upstanding citizens! /s
I guess that only works for certain people. Everybody else gets have to deal with riots.
Lookie here, a bad apple ... guess it's time to toss out the whole barrel.
It is the whole barrel. I thought you were "well read?"
Well enough read not to rely on reviews by others to pretend I am.
If she and hubbie did it, then the courts will find this out and act accordingly. Do the crime: face judgement.
As for the so-called, "color-blind protectors" of wealth and privileges who continue to deliver and remark on the failures of black Americans to meet their "high standards"—the point of social justice is defense of the voiceless poor, a helper to those without influence, power, or proper wealth. In the bible - a champion of the poor, widow, and fatherless, An enabler for right and justice. Oh, and speaking up for the poor immigrant. To name just a few of its values.
Of course to the smug 'warriors,' who defend the rich and powerful without regards to wholesome principles, SJWs are to be mocked, diminished, and 'spat upon'—in discussion.
This kind of fraud is stupid, but common as fleas...
This does not implicate BLM as a movement unless all the other churchs or nonprofit (Tea Party) in any way associated with these kinds of crimes are culpable.
Still, not as bad as priests and nuns raping children.
DEEEEEEflection
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I realize I may be the only guy here from MA, but would anyone else like to try and answer Carr's questions?
I know why they spent the money on themselves, they just didn't want to waste it. Who's the idiot that came up with the bright idea to give at risk youth a vacation from their violence riddled neighborhoods of Boston by sending them to the violence riddled neighborhoods of Philly. Don't these morons know that the Saco River in New Hampshire is two hours from Boston, a few days of canoeing and camping on the Saco sounds like a better plan than a trip to Philly not to mention they could take twice as many kids for the same price.
Gotta wonder why so many people fall into this sort of thing. Surely they've seen the news reports of all those who did the same thing and got caught. Makes me wonder if I would do any better.
It's falling into temptation, or (if she and hubbie have a plausible explanation) ignorance of how to read and understand those documents they sign financial terms and 'regulations' which can some times be an ambiguous 'trap' in themselves. You almost need a staff lawyer to keep up with government modifications and "supercedings" which can be 'rampant.' Again, assuming it is not just old fashion theft or yielding to temptation. Many poor and 'ordinary' people have never seen the money that the government can deliver when it wants to do so into their hands, and its just too much for them to 'contain' themselves. Also, non-profits are not as easy to 'operate' as one thinks. There is oversight, even when it appears no one is doing proper oversight!
Of course, if it is just bad people doing bad things, then these people like anybody else need to be dealt with appropriately in a court of law.
Could be. I can't deny it could be a "moral failure." The couple is in court and the lawyer
in the article says,
" We remain fully confident Monica will be vindicated when a complete factual record emerges," the lawyer added. "
( Obvious omission of "hubbie" there.) Therefore, we are 'stuck' to discover what presentation on Monica's behalf will be offered/delivered to the court.
Well, clearly I won't be able to 'out-discuss' you over what is speculation until the lawyer makes his argument before a judge and jury. As for my part, I will refrain from going beyond what is factually presented up to this point. Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. (The saying goes!)
Obviously, but it always makes me wonder. Did they start off as crooks or did they fall into moral failure? Assuming they're guilty, of course. I can't imagine doing it myself, but the prevalence of such crimes makes me wonder. I remember when I sold chocolate bars door to door for the Catholic school I attended when I was a kid. I ate a lot of those bars myself and then had to figure out how to pay for them after the fact. Same sort of thing?
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