Sir Maejor Page, 32, founded the ‘Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta’ organization in 2016.
- This year, this organization took in over $466,000 in donations.
- Federal investigators found that Tyree Conyers-Page, the founder of the organization, had spent $200,000 of the donations on himself.
- Page was arrested for wire fraud and money laundering and was later released on $10,000 bail.
On Friday, Page was charged by federal prosecutors.
According to FOX News, the Toledo FBI office had opened an investigation in 2019 after a fraud complaint had been submitted against Page. In 2016, Page founded the Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta and this year, the group had received more than $466,000 in donations. While the group had said that the money would go to support the BLM movement, federal investigators found that Page had been using the donations for personal expenses. The New York Times reported that the founder of the group had ‘appeared on social media wearing tailored suits with cuff links and ties that he bragged had cost $150, staying in luxury hotel rooms. “My room way up at the top,” he boasted. “At the top top.”‘ In addition to this, investigators found that the man had also bought a house and land in Toledo, Ohio.
Justin Herdman, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio commented:
We always work diligently to ensure that people do not scam their way into financial windfalls by playing off of the public’s emotions or fears […] This case is alleged to be one more example of something we have sadly seen over and over again, whether it relates to the global pandemic or schemes targeting the elderly — there is no cause, no tragedy, and no event that fraudsters won’t seek to exploit.
After Page’s arrest on Friday, he has appeared in federal court and has been released on $10,000 bail. In addition to this, Page’s lawyer has refused to comment.
