Federal judge orders Monica Cannon-Grant to forfeit more than $224,000 tied to Boston fraud case

Forfeiture order adds to earlier restitution and probation sentence in case involving a former nonprofit leader

A federal judge has ordered Monica Cannon-Grant to forfeit more than $224,000 after her guilty plea in a fraud case tied to the now-defunct nonprofit Violence in Boston Inc., which she founded and led.

The forfeiture amount is separate from restitution previously imposed at sentencing. In late January 2026, Cannon-Grant was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Boston to four years of probation, including six months of home confinement. The court also ordered her to pay $106,003 in restitution, with forfeiture to be determined later. The new order sets the forfeiture total at more than $224,000, reflecting proceeds the court found to be connected to the charged conduct.

What the case involved

Cannon-Grant rose to public prominence as a community organizer and became associated with anti-violence work and mutual-aid efforts in Boston. Prosecutors alleged that donations and other funds intended for charitable purposes were diverted to personal expenses and that she also obtained pandemic-era relief benefits she was not eligible to receive.

Cannon-Grant pleaded guilty in September 2025 to 18 federal counts, including wire fraud conspiracy, multiple wire fraud counts, mail fraud, and tax-related offenses. The charges stemmed from allegations involving donor funds and public relief programs, as well as federal tax filing obligations.

• Guilty plea: September 2025, to 18 counts including fraud and tax charges
• Sentencing: January 29, 2026, resulting in probation and home confinement
• Restitution ordered at sentencing: $106,003
• Forfeiture: ordered later, now set at more than $224,000

How forfeiture differs from restitution

Restitution is designed to compensate victims for losses. Forfeiture, by contrast, is intended to strip defendants of proceeds tied to criminal activity. In fraud cases, courts can impose both, depending on the findings about victim losses and criminal proceeds.

The forfeiture order is not a new conviction or a new sentence; it is a financial judgment tied to the same underlying criminal case.

Background and procedural history

The case originally charged Cannon-Grant and her husband, Clark Grant, with fraud offenses. Court filings show his charges were dismissed after his death in 2023. The prosecution continued against Cannon-Grant, culminating in her guilty plea in 2025 and sentencing in early 2026.

The forfeiture order closes a key outstanding piece of the January sentencing, which left the forfeiture amount to be set later. The combined financial obligations now include restitution and the newly specified forfeiture judgment, alongside supervised probation conditions ordered by the court.