A political activist from Ohio has denied impersonating a frontrunner of the political group Black Lives Matter on social media for his personal private revenue.
Toledo resident Sir Maejor Web page, a.okay.a. Tyree Conyers-Web page, was arrested in September on one rely of wire fraud and two counts of cash laundering.
An investigation was launched into the 32-year-old after a criticism was filed with the FBI’s Nationwide Menace Operations Middle in April 2020.
The criticism alleged that Web page was fraudulently utilizing a non-profit group by the use of misrepresentations and in addition posing as a Black Lives Matter chief.
Regulation enforcement decided that Web page had created and operated a Fb web page named Black Lives Matter of Better Atlanta (BLMGA). Web page set BLMGA up as a non-profit group, able to accepting financial donations, and in addition listed it as a non-profit group with the fundraising web site GoFundMe.
In 2018, Web page opened up a checking account named “Black Lives Matter of Better Atlanta, Inc.” to which he’s the only signatory.
Up till the dying of George Floyd on Might 25, 2020, the steadiness of the account remained beneath $5,000. Nonetheless, between June and August 2020, BLMGA’s social media web page acquired roughly $467,342.18 in donations, all of which was transferred to the Black Lives Matter of Better Atlanta, Inc. checking account, owned and operated by Web page.
Court docket paperwork allege that in June, July, and August final 12 months, Web page repeatedly used a debit card linked to this identical account to buy meals, eating, leisure, furnishings, a house safety system, tailor-made fits, and equipment.
On August 21, he allegedly used the cash within the account to purchase a residence and an adjoining vacant lot in Toledo for a complete of roughly $112,000.
“In abstract, Web page has spent over $200,000 on private gadgets generated from donations acquired from the BLMGA social media web page with no identifiable buy or expenditure for social or racial justice,” stated the FBI.
Appearing US Lawyer Bridget Brennan stated: “It’s our honest hope that these expenses assist increase consciousness about on-line scams and efforts by some to use the identify and objective of non-profit organizations for private acquire.”
On March 10, Web page entered a not responsible plea to all expenses.
