Violence in Boston, the charity on the heart of a federal fraud case in opposition to its president and treasurer, Monica Cannon-Grant, and her husband has shut down.
“I regret to inform you that Violence in Boston Inc will be suspending all programs and shutting down, effective immediately,” Cannon-Grant wrote on her public Facebook web page. “I can’t communicate on whether or not the choice to desolve (sic) the group was a simple one to make, as this choice was made by the Violence in Boston board of administrators.
“What I can say with confidence is that I fought, and community members fought to retain our services at Violence in Boston, which included our food pantry and emergency and short-term housing for victims of violence,” the put up continued. “I have served this community with my whole heart and I deeply regret the loss of a community resource during a time when people are still struggling.”
ViB’s web site has additionally been changed with a shorter model of the message and a hyperlink to the Secretary of State web site’s entry on the entity itemizing its board of administrators. It additionally contains hyperlinks to native “Resources for folks experiencing community violence,” together with sources for “queer survivors of partner abuse,” neighborhood fridges within the larger Boston space and meals pantries within the metropolis.
A Twitter account referred to as “Fight for Monica,” which posts content material in protection of Cannon-Grant, posted on Thursday that the ViB board had “terminated Monica’s employment via email, effective July 1st.” The Herald has reached out to listed administrators for impartial affirmation however had not obtained a response.
The put up provides that Cannon-Grant “is a mom of six and was given zero days notice that she would lose all of her income.” A put up simply earlier than that one states the board put Cannon-Grant on depart in April “and deliberate to dissolve the group with out her information.
Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment in opposition to Cannon-Grant and her husband, Clark Grant, on March 15, and he or she was arrested that very same day. The indictment alleges that the couple “agreed to use VIB as a vehicle to personally enrich themselves and their designees,” together with shopping for private meals, making automotive funds and even going to the nail salon.
Cannon-Grant was launched that very same day and has not saved a low-profile on-line regardless of the federal fees she faces.
“Stop calling yourselves Activist and Organizers. To be either you have to be willing to lose something. It is not a weekend sometime job,” she posted on Facebook on Tuesday afternoon, allegedly 4 days after being fired from ViB. “In order to be EFFECTIVE you have to be willing to be hated, mocked, lose your employment, lose ‘friends’ and stand alone understanding respectability won’t save you.”
Prosecutors confirmed they’re in search of a contemporary indictment within the case, which might change or add fees or defendants, throughout an in-person court docket look on June 10. The couple have been initially indicted in March with 18 fraud-related counts. They pleaded not responsible to the costs.
Their trial is scheduled for March.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”