BOSTON – A foremost leader of the Black Lives Matter movement in Boston was taken into custody Tuesday after the woman and her husband were charged in an 18-count federal indictment, according to reports.
Monica Cannon-Grant, 41, and her husband, Clark Grant, 38, were charged in connection with three separate schemes, according to the indictment.
The Boston Globe reports the couple allegedly raised more than $1 million in donations and grants for people in need, yet used a significant portion on themselves for personal expenses, such as renting their apartment and buying a vehicle for a relative.
The charges include the following allegations:
- Defrauding donors
- Lying on a mortgage application
- Illegally collecting an estimated $100,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits
It was noted that in one instance, Cannon-Grant received a $6,000 grant for her nonprofit, Violence in Boston Inc. The funds were to be used to take a group of at-risk young men to a retreat in Philadelphia, the Post Millennial reported.
However, the trip never took place. Instead, she used the money to take a personal vacation to Maryland with her husband, paying for opulent expenses with donated monies, federal prosecutors allege.
“While Cannon-Grant reported to the IRS and the state attorney general’s charity division that she received no salary, prosecutors said that in October 2020 she started paying herself $2,788 a week,” according to the Boston Globe.
Clark Grant was previously arrested by federal agents in October and charged with illegally collecting unemployment benefits and making false statements on a mortgage application.
The couple reside in Taunton. Their home was raided by the feds prior to Clark’s arrest last year. This is the first time that Cannon-Grant has been implicated in the schemes.
Cannon-Grant appeared before US Magistrate Judge Judith Dein on Tuesday and was released on her own recognizance. While out of custody she is allowed to work with the nonprofit, but cannot handle the organization’s finances. She will be arraigned on the charges next week, Post Millennial reported.
Her attorney, Robert Goldstein said the government has “rushed to judgment” and that “false conclusions” have been drawn due to an “incomplete factual record.”
