Do gun control groups misdirect donor monies for the personal enrichment of their leaders? Impossible you say? The feds say otherwise in at least one group’s case. The US Attorney’s for Massachusetts has brought federal fraud charges against the founders of the Violence in Boston gun control group which could put the couple in prison for years to come.
Monica Cannon-Grant and her husband Clark Grant face real jail time for, among other things, using monies donated to the gun control org for personal expenses like groceries, car rentals, car repairs, Uber rides and nail salon visits. Because, after all, good nails are a must when you’re advocating that inner city residents stay on the gun control plantation in Boston.
And then there was the matter of allegedly lying to defraud the federal government of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance funds to the tune of $100,000.
WBZ has the story:
A federal grand jury has indicted Monica Cannon-Grant and her husband Clark Grant, the founders of Violence In Boston, on more than a dozen charges for allegedly using the nonprofit for their own benefit.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts announced on Tuesday that Cannon-Grant, 41, and Grant, 38, both Taunton residents, are facing charges as part of an 18-count indictment.
A grand jury found the couple allegedly led a series of schemes designed to defraud Violence in Boston donors, the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance, and a mortgage lending business based in Chicago.
…prosecutors allege that from 2017-2021, Cannon-Grant used donation and grant money to pay for expenses such as hotel reservations, groceries, gas, car rentals, auto repairs, Uber rides, restaurants, nail salons and personal travel.
The couple is also accused of collecting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits despite having income from other sources. While collecting $100,000 of PUA benefits, Cannon-Grant and Grant were allegedly receiving income from Violence in Boston funds, consulting fees, and Grant’s salary from a full-time job.
Violence in Boston is no bit gun control player in the Bay State. They’ve been working closely with, and receiving sponsorships from Moms Demand Action, March For Our Lives, Black Lives Matter and more.
Morning! Please Share!
Our Hash tags for Tomorrow are:#ViolenceInBoston #BPSDieIn2018 #OurPTSD
Thanks to our sponsors: @MomsDemand @MarchForwardMA @BostonEdJustice @IndMysticValley @surjboston @MFOLBoston @StuckOnReplay_ @BlmBoston @TeenEmpowerment #WeNeedToKnow pic.twitter.com/gtkktheNKJ— Violence In Boston Inc. (@ViolenceNBoston) November 18, 2018
Not only that, but it would seem that the Grants and their Violence in Boston group scored a fat cash grant from Shannon Watts Michael Bloomberg and Moms Demand Action.
Grateful???? Today we learned we were approved for a grant from @MomsDemand to continue the work of feeding our community. Thank you Angela Peavey Christiana and @shannonrwatts for supporting @ViolenceNBoston Inc. & Food for the Soul ????#VillageWork #TheWorkContinues pic.twitter.com/DkyOF74KQa
— Violence In Boston Inc. (@ViolenceNBoston) April 1, 2020
Ouch.
Today I wear orange not just for school shootings, or for shootings that happened in Suburban communities but I wear orange for all the black& brown kids shot & killed on a regular basis in Dorchester, Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park and Mattapan. #ViolenceInBoston #WearOrange pic.twitter.com/xy3WeOwmri
— Violence In Boston Inc. (@ViolenceNBoston) June 7, 2019
The good news for gun rights in Beantown and elsewhere in Massachusetts is that if the charges stick and the Grants plead out or are found guilty, they may be wearing orange on a daily basis for quite some time.
Similarly, time will tell if Violence in Boston folds or if their founders add federal wire fraud convictions and prison terms to their resumes. One thing is certain…if convicted, they won’t ever legally handle a gun again.
