Former Boston nonprofit leader Monica Cannon-Grant was sentenced after admitting to a long-running scheme that diverted charity and pandemic relief funds into personal use, drawing federal penalties and restitution.
Monica Cannon-Grant, 44, was sentenced in federal court in Boston to four years of probation, including six months of home detention and 100 hours of community service. The court ordered $106,003 in restitution and held that forfeiture would be determined later. Prosecutors had sought an 18-month prison term.
In September 2025 Cannon-Grant pleaded guilty to 18 counts, including multiple counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, and several tax-related charges tied to false and missing returns. She had been earlier charged in a larger indictment in March 2023 alongside her then-co-defendant and husband, Clark Grant. Clark Grant’s charges were dismissed after his death in May 2023, but the case’s timeline stretches back to a prior March 2022 indictment.
Cannon-Grant founded Violence in Boston, known as VIB, and formally established it in 2017 as an anti-violence nonprofit that claimed to serve Greater Boston communities. For years she was publicly praised as a community voice and was at one point recognized as a Bostonian of the Year. Prosecutors say that public profile helped her secure donations and grants that were meant for relief and outreach.
From 2017 through at least 2020, investigators say Cannon-Grant presented herself as an unpaid director while she and her late husband used control of VIB accounts to cover personal bills. They allegedly tapped nonprofit cash through ATM withdrawals, cashed checks, transfers into personal accounts, and debit purchases to pay everyday expenses. Authorities also say she made materially false claims on grant applications and on government relief forms.
One detailed example involves the Boston Resiliency Fund, a pandemic relief pool that provided aid to city residents. After VIB received about $53,977 in BRF pandemic funds, Cannon-Grant is accused of withdrawing roughly $30,000 in cash, depositing $5,200 and $1,000 into her personal checking account, and making payments on a personal auto loan and car insurance. She then reported to BRF that the grant funds had been properly spent.
Prosecutors also say she concealed household income to get $12,600 in rental assistance from Boston’s Office of Housing Stability and submitted fraudulent pandemic unemployment claims. Investigators allege she and her husband certified weeks that they were not working and that they had received less than $89 in income while collecting benefits. Court documents show she filed false tax returns for 2017 and 2018 and failed to file returns for 2019 and 2020, omitting tens of thousands in income.
“Monica Cannon-Grant’s crimes were not a momentary lapse in judgment — they were a calculated pattern of deception that spanned years. She repeatedly lied to donors, government agencies, and the public, even after being caught — all while presenting herself as a champion for others.”
“Fraud disguised as activism or charity is still fraud. You don’t get partial credit for stealing,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “This case makes clear that exploiting public trust for personal enrichment is a serious federal crime, no matter how it is packaged.”
“Ms. Cannon-Grant’s actions were crimes of greed and opportunity but will not go unpunished thanks to the law enforcement community, who have dedicated their mission to uncovering and putting an end to such devious schemes. This case illustrates that anyone who defrauds state programs and exploits their position in the community, will be held accountable for their actions. Postal inspectors are ever vigilant in bringing to justice individuals who use the U.S. Mail to defraud and otherwise take advantage of the financial circumstances of innocent consumers,” said Nicolas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.
“Monica Cannon-Grant illegally enriched herself through a scheme that fraudulently diverted critical taxpayer resources from individuals who depended on unemployment insurance benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. This case reinforces our unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of the unemployment insurance program,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to work closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to safeguard vital U.S. Department of Labor programs and to ensure accountability for those who seek to exploit them.”
“This case against Monica Cannon-Grant demonstrates IRS-CI’s commitment to protecting all American citizens, especially those who are in need of assistance, like those that Cannon-Grant claimed to care about,” said Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Cannon-Grant not only stole from her own non-profit organization but did so at the expense of multiple public financial programs designed to help those truly in need. While Cannon-Grant personally profited from her own scheme, those in the communities seeking a lifeline from her organization had to go without.”
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston with assistance from multiple federal investigators, including postal inspectors, IRS criminal investigators, and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. The Justice Department created a COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force in May 2021 to focus resources on pandemic-related fraud and prioritize prosecutions of the most serious offenders. Anyone who wants to report suspected COVID-19 fraud can contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud hotline at 866-720-5721.
