Black Lives Matter leader accused of stealing $10 million from donations and using it as his 'personal piggy bank'



A leader of the Black Lives Matter Global Foundation is being accused in a lawsuit of stealing $10 million from the group and using it for his "personal piggy bank."

The lawsuit from former colleagues called Shalomyah Bowers a “rogue administrator, a middle man turned usurper," according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

The complaint claimed that Bowers led the Black Lives Matter Global Foundation into "multiple investigations by the Internal Revenue Service and various state attorney generals, blazing a path of irreparable harm to BLM in less than eighteen months."

The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Thursday by a group calling itself Black Lives Grassroots.

“While BLM leaders and movement workers were on the street risking their lives, Mr. Bowers remained in his cushy offices devising a scheme of fraud and misrepresentation to break the implied-in-fact contract between donors and BLM," the suit added.

The board of directors of the BLM Global Fund denied the accusations in a joint statement.

“They would rather take the same steps of our white oppressors and utilize the criminal legal system which is propped up by white supremacy (the same system they say they want to dismantle) to solve movement disputes,” the statement said.

Black Lives Matter Los Angeles cofounder Melina Abdullah told reporters at a media briefing on Thursday that Bowers had shut her out of control of the group's social media accounts.

Bowers fired back in a statement accusing Abdullah of financial malfeasance and “unprincipled decision making, and a leadership style rooted in retribution and intimidation.”

The BLM Global Foundation was similarly criticized in April when a financial report indicated that they had used donation money to buy a $6 million home in southern California.

Bowers also defended that purchase, saying it was made in order to establish a "housing and studio space" for black creators. Other activists were upset at the use of the funds.

Here's more about the BLM movement:

The premise behind Black Lives Matter is a lie: Larry Elderwww.youtube.com

FBI arrests Black Lives Matter activist, accused of spending $200K in donations on tailored suits and property



An Atlanta-based Black Lives Matter activist faces federal charges of money laundering and wire fraud for allegedly using donation money for personal purchases such as tailored suits, guns, and a security system.

Sir Maejor Page, also known as Tyree Conyers-Page, was arrested on Friday morning in Toledo, Ohio. Page, 32, was charged with one count of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Page allegedly operated a Facebook page called "Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta," a non-profit organization that accepted monetary donations under the guise of using the money to fight against racial injustice. Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta solicited donations on GoFundMe, where the organization was listed as a non-profit.

Page assured people that "none of the funds have been used for personal items," according to the FBI. "All movement related."

Authorities claim that a bank account named "Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta, Inc." was opened in 2018, and Page was the only signatory on the account. Between April 2018 and May 2020, the bank account's balance never exceeded $5,000, but donations started pouring in following the death of George Floyd in late May. Officials say between June and August of this year, $467,342.18 in donations were transferred to the BLMGA bank account that Page controlled, as reported by WTOL-TV.

The FBI said Page used a debit card linked to the same bank account that was dedicated to Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta to make personal purchases. Page reportedly used the donation money to buy food, entertainment, tailored suits, furniture, guns, and a home security system.

Since early August, Page's Instagram and social media videos have featured an increased amount of new clothes, including posts about tailored suits, "nice cufflinks," and "$150 ties."

On Aug. 21, Page allegedly used the Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta bank account to purchase a residence and an adjacent vacant lot in Toledo for $112,000.

Records show that the home was purchased by an organization Hi Frequency, an organization for which Page was listed as the treasurer and general counsel. Page seemingly attempted to hide his ownership of the property by stating in the non-disclosure agreement that the transaction was to be entered "by and between Hi Frequency Ohio via Sir Maejor Page" and the seller's agent.

The home at which law enforcement is raiding in regards to Sir Maejor Page was purchased by the activist organizati… https://t.co/XoxGddEfpe
— Shaun Hegarty (@Shaun Hegarty)1601046324.0

Authorities said Page spent over $200,000 on personal items with money from donations made to his Black Lives Matter organization, but the FBI did not find any purchases or expenditures tied to social activism or racial injustice.

Page was released after posting $10,000 bond.

As part of his bond release, Page is not allowed to use Facebook. He is also barred from conducting any fundraising or obtaining any new bank accounts or lines of credit without prior approval of Pretrial Services.

GoFundMe said the company had removed fundraising accounts associated with Page and the Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta organization. Page has been banned from using the GoFundMe crowdfunding platform, and refunds are being offered to donors who request them.

"GoFundMe has taken action to ensure you can no longer start a GoFundMe for BLMGA. PayPal has also confirmed BLMGA has been removed from its database," the statement read. "Campaigns with misuse are very rare, and we take all complaints very seriously. Our team is working with law enforcement and assisting them in the investigation."

An IMDB listing shows "Sir Maejor" was an actor in FX's TV series "American Horror Story: Coven" as an "albino guard/henchman."