Monica Cannon-Grant, the activist and founder of today-defunct nonprofit Violence in Boston, is expected to plead guilty to fraud charges.
Cannon-Grant requested a change of plea hearing on Friday. She was set to stand trial next month and had initially pleaded not guilty back in 2022.
Cannon-Grant and her husband Clark Grant were indicted back in March 2022 on fraud charges. She’s accused of taking money given to Violence in Boston, which was based in Hyde Park, and spending it on herself. Prosecutors said between 2017 and 2021, Cannon-Grant used donation and grant money to pay for things like hotel reservations, gas money, nail salons, groceries, restaurants and personal travel.
The couple was also accused of collecting $100,000 of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits, despite receiving income from Violence in Boston funds, consulting fees, and Grant’s salary from a full-time job.
In 2023, they were indicted for additional fraud charges after federal prosecutors said she defrauded the city of Boston out of COVID-19 relief funds and rental assistance money. Federal prosecutors said they received $53,977 in COVID pandemic relief funds and used the money to pay their auto loan and pay for auto insurance bills. They also allegedly hid their household income to receive $12,600 in rental assistance from the city.
Grant was killed in a motorcycle crash in Easton in March 2023.
WBZ-TV reached out to Cannon-Grant’s attorney for comment but did not hear back.
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