A self-proclaimed Black Lives Matter movement leader in Atlanta allegedly defrauded donors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations and used a “substantial portion” of the funds on personal expenses, such as buying a house and paying a prostitute.
Sir Maejor Page, 32, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Cleveland last week on three counts of money laundering and one count of wire fraud, the Department of Justice announced. Page is accused of creating a 501(c)(3) Facebook page called “Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta” and then using the page in 2020 — after the IRS revoked its tax-exempt charity status — to raise more than $450,000 from donors.
As alleged by the Department of Justice, Page suggested through his actions that the donations would be used to fight for racial and social justice even though the organization was no longer an official charity. Instead, Page allegedly used a “substantial portion” of the donations for his personal benefit, spending money on “entertainment, hotel rooms, clothing and firearms,” as well as purchasing a home in Toledo, Ohio, and paying a prostitute, according to the Department of Justice.
“These allegations involve fraudulent misrepresentations that the donations received would support Black Lives Matter (Atlanta, Georgia) when, as stated in the indictment, those funds were actually used by the defendant for personal expenses he incurred in Toledo and elsewhere,” Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan said in a DOJ press release. “It is our sincere hope that these charges help raise awareness about online scams and efforts by some to exploit the name and purpose of non-profit organizations for personal gain.”– READ MORE
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