Monica Cannon-Grant Faces Forfeiture After Fraud Plea

The founder of the now-closed nonprofit “Violence In Boston” (VIB) has been ordered to forfeit over $224,000 following her guilty plea to fraud charges. This decision was made on Monday by Federal District Court Judge Angel Kelley, aligning with the amounts she gained through her illegal activities.

Monica Cannon-Grant, who was the CEO of VIB, accepted guilt in September 2025 to multiple counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, and several tax-related charges, as indicated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. Earlier this January, she was sentenced to four years of probation and six months of home detention, along with 100 hours of community service and an obligation to pay over $100,000 in restitution. In 2023, both she and her husband faced additional charges, but his allegations were dropped after his passing that same year.

Once honored as a “2020 Bostonian of the Year,” Cannon-Grant is known for organizing a significant march in Franklin Park that attracted thousands after George Floyd’s death. She established VIB in 2017, but the organization was dissolved after charges surfaced in 2022.

According to prosecutors, she misused charitable funds for personal expenses. After acquiring over $54,000 in pandemic-related relief from the Boston Resiliency Funds (BRF), she reportedly withdrew around $30,000 in cash, using some for her personal accounts and to cover her car loan and insurance payments. She also misrepresented her household income to secure rental aid from the City of Boston and fraudulently applied for unemployment benefits. The attorney’s office highlighted that she misled donors and charitable entities by portraying herself as an unpaid director of VIB.

“Monica Cannon-Grant’s actions were not simply errors in judgment; they reflected a deliberate history of deception,” commented U.S. Attorney Leah Foley. “Fraud, even when disguised as charity or activism, remains fraud,” she added.

Her legal team reportedly sought a more lenient sentence of two years’ probation without a fine and a reduced fee of $1,650, as noted by the Epoch Times. They characterized her as a “loving mother, wife, and daughter” committed to social justice, while also citing a traumatic upbringing marked by poverty and violence.