Boston BLM Activist Sentenced to Probation for $100K Fraud

Monica Cannon-Grant avoided jail time despite stealing COVID-19 relief funds and other donations.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 9:47pm

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Monica Cannon-Grant, a Boston-based Black Lives Matter activist, was sentenced to four years of probation and six months of home confinement for stealing over $100,000 in COVID-19 relief funds and other donations to fund her lavish lifestyle. Cannon-Grant pleaded guilty to fraud charges last year, but the judge opted for a lenient sentence despite the government's recommendation of 18 months in prison.

Why it matters

This case highlights concerns about accountability for high-profile activists who abuse their positions of trust and misuse charitable funds. It raises questions about whether certain individuals are treated more leniently by the justice system, even for serious financial crimes.

The details

From 2017 to 2020, Cannon-Grant represented herself as an unpaid director of her nonprofit, Violence in Boston (VIB), to donors and other organizations. In reality, she and her late husband used VIB's accounts and funds to pay for personal expenses, including cash withdrawals, cashed checks, wire transfers to personal accounts, and payments on their auto loan and car insurance. Cannon-Grant also fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief funds from the City of Boston's Resiliency Fund, as well as rental assistance funds, by making false representations about her household income and expenses.

  • Cannon-Grant's fraudulent activities took place from 2017 through at least 2020.
  • She was sentenced on January 29, 2026.

The players

Monica Cannon-Grant

A 44-year-old Boston-based Black Lives Matter activist who pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges for stealing over $100,000 in COVID-19 relief funds and other donations to fund her lavish lifestyle.

Violence in Boston (VIB)

A Boston-based nonprofit organization that Cannon-Grant represented herself as an unpaid director of, in order to solicit donations that she then used for personal expenses.

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What’s next

The judge will determine the amount of restitution Cannon-Grant must pay at a later date.

The takeaway

This lenient sentence for a high-profile fraud case raises questions about whether certain individuals are treated more favorably by the justice system, even for serious financial crimes that undermine public trust in charitable organizations and community leaders.