Monica Cannon-Grant’s lawyer was a no-show at a federal court docket listening to for her high-profile fraud case on Friday, as court docket officers struck out when calling and emailing the absent legal professional.
U.S. Attorney prosecutors had been all set for Cannon-Grant’s preliminary pretrial convention in Courtroom 8 of Boston’s U.S. District Court Friday morning. The solely downside: Cannon-Grant’s protection legal professional was nowhere to be seen.
The court docket delayed the beginning of the listening to for quarter-hour to present additional time for Christopher Malcolm to seem in entrance of District Judge Angel Kelley. But the MIA member of the bar by no means made it to the federal courtroom.
“Mr. Malcolm failed to appear despite notice and attempts to call and email during court,” the federal court docket wrote in its digital submitting.
“The Court proceeded with the status conference,” the court docket added. “Further order will issue regarding next steps.”
The Herald reached out to Malcolm, asking why he failed to seem on the listening to, however he didn’t instantly reply.
Malcolm is the third legal professional to characterize Cannon-Grant within the federal case associated to her charity Violence in Boston.
Cannon-Grant and her husband Clark Grant, who has since died in a motorbike crash, had been initially indicted in March 2022 on 18 fraud-related counts.
They have been accused of utilizing “a substantial amount” of the cash donated or granted to their charity to complement themselves, with funds going towards paying again lease to nail salon appointments and restaurant meals.
Those 18 fraud counts had been upped to 27 counts when prosecutors issued a brand new indictment earlier this 12 months.
The prices are: Three counts wire fraud conspiracy; one rely conspiracy; one rely mail fraud, aiding and abetting; 16 counts wire fraud, aiding and abetting; one rely making false statements to a mortgage lending enterprise, aiding and abetting; two counts submitting false tax returns; two counts failure to file tax returns; and allegations of each wire and mail fraud forfeiture and mortgage fraud forfeiture.
Malcolm grew to become Cannon-Grant’s legal professional in February. Robert Goldstein, her first retained legal professional, withdrew from the case final September.
His departure adopted the information that Violence in Boston had ceased all operations and shut down. Meanwhile, Cannon-Grant was granted the proper to use for state unemployment advantages.
After Goldstein withdrew as her legal professional, the court docket appointed legal professional Keith Halpern to the case.
However, the case materials was overwhelming, the taxpayer-funded court-appointed legal professional mentioned.
Malcolm is a retained legal professional, and he mentioned prior to now that his companies had been paid for by a nonprofit arrange for Cannon-Grant’s protection.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”