Fraudster who spent BLM donations on her lavish lifestyle gets a slap on the wrist. Why?

The Black Lives Matter activist who pleaded guilty to fraud-related charges will likely receive an insulting, bare-minimum sentence.

In 2022, Monica Cannon-Grant was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with 27 counts of 18 fraud-related crimes alongside her husband, Clark Grant, whose charges were dismissed in 2023 following his death.

Taking a plea deal, Cannon-Grant pleaded guilty on Monday to just 18 counts of tax violations, mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, with the remaining nine charges being dismissed. Prosecutors are expected to recommend an 18 to 24-month sentence, which amounts to a slap on the wrist for a woman who swindled thousands to fund her own lavish lifestyle.

Cannon-Grant became a prominent figure in her community for her work leading several BLM protests in Boston following the death of George Floyd in 2020, and was even named “Bostonian of the Year” by the Boston Globe. She and her husband ran the nonprofit Violence in Boston Inc., which was supposed to help improve the lives of those in “disenfranchised communities.” The organization brought in over $1 million and received nearly $60,000 in pandemic relief funds that were supposed to provide meals for the less fortunate.

Instead, the money was blown on Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., nail salon visits, vacations, a vehicle, and even the family’s rent.

Cannon-Grant and her husband were also accused of “hiding their income to fraudulently acquire $12,600 in rental assistance funds” around the same time they were trying to buy a home, according to the Daily Mail. Meanwhile, the BLM activist was said to have paid herself a whopping $2,788 per week from charity funds beginning in 2020.

“The 2020 Bostonian of the year was also accused of directing co-conspirators to apply for public and private grants for her charity and spending that money on living expenses,” the Daily Mail reported. “A $10,400 grant from an unnamed department store meant to feed hungry children was actually laundered through a church to pay back rent, according to the police.”

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office also alleged that Cannon-Grant filed false tax returns for 2017 and 2018 and that she failed to file tax returns for 2019 and 2020, failing to report tens of thousands of dollars that she received from Violence in Boston and an entity with which she contracted to provide consulting services,” notes a report from NBCBoston.

“Monica Cannon-Grant repeatedly scammed multiple public financial programs and stole money donated by members of the public who believed their donations would aid in reducing violence and promote social awareness. Instead, Cannon-Grant used donations to satisfy her own greed, while falsely portraying herself as a legitimate nonprofit organizer,” said Leah Foley, U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts.

Cannon-Grant is due to be sentenced on January 29.

Writer/Columnist

Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to BizPac Review.

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