(José Niño, Headline USA) A federal judge has ordered Monica Cannon-Grant, the Black Lives Matter activist who once received Boston’s highest civic honor, to repay more than $224,000 that she siphoned from her nonprofit organization to fund a lavish personal lifestyle, per a report by The New York Post. The ruling this week marks the financial reckoning in a fraud case that has become one of the most notorious scandals to emerge from the 2020 racial justice movement.
Judge Angel Kelley issued the restitution order after Cannon-Grant had already received her sentence in January. That punishment included four years of probation, six months confined to her home, and 100 hours of community service for her crimes, which encompassed wire fraud and falsifying tax returns, according to WBUR.
The $224,000 figure breaks down into two components. Approximately $180,000 represents money that Cannon-Grant diverted directly from Violence in Boston, the non-profit she founded supposedly to feed children and organize demonstrations against police brutality. The remaining amount covers rental assistance payments and federal pandemic unemployment benefits that she fraudulently obtained.
Cannon-Grant and her husband Clark Grant operated what amounted to a confidence scheme disguised as charitable work. They solicited donations from individuals and organizations who believed their money would support social justice causes and community programs. Among the victims was a Black Lives Matter group that contributed $3,000 to what they thought was a legitimate cause.
Instead of serving the community, the funds paid for the couple’s rent, automobile expenses, clothing purchases, food deliveries, visits to nail salons, and even a summer getaway to Maryland. The fraud continued for years before federal authorities caught up with them.
In September, Cannon-Grant entered guilty pleas to 18 separate charges. When she did so, federal prosecutor Leah B. Foley laid bare the extent of her deception, per a report by The New York Post. “Cannon-Grant used donations to satisfy her own greed, while falsely portraying herself as a legitimate nonprofit organizer,” Foley stated. “She betrayed the trust of everyone who donated and the public who supported her fraudulent charity.”
Boston Globe Magazine bestowed upon her its Bostonian of the Year distinction in 2020. That same year, the Boston Celtics honored her with their Heroes Among Us award. These recognitions positioned her as one of the most celebrated activists in Massachusetts.
As Headline USA previously reported, federal authorities charged both Cannon-Grant and her husband in 2022. Clark Grant never faced trial. He died in a motorcycle accident in 2023, leaving his wife to answer alone for their joint scheme..
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
