Black Lives Matter activist defrauded George Floyd donors of over $450,000. Now he's going to federal prison.
A Black Lives Matter activist has been sentenced to federal prison after being found guilty of using donations intended for social justice causes for his own luxuries.
A grand jury convicted Sir Maejor Page, also known as Tyree Conyers-Page, of wire fraud and money laundering in April. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Helmick on Thursday sentenced Page to 42 months in prison.
'Mr. Page took advantage of a cause meant to fight social injustices, using it instead to line his own pockets with thousands of dollars of donations.'
Prosecutors said Page, of Toledo, Ohio, defrauded donors of more than $450,000 that they collectively gave to his “Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta” organization which he claimed to be a nonprofit.
Page continued to collect donations for purported social justice actions on his Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta Facebook page despite the IRS revoking BLMGA’s “tax-exempt status as a charity” in May 2019.
The U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Ohio said in a statement, "He also used Facebook to message privately with users, and he falsely represented that their donations would be used to 'fight for George Floyd' and the 'movement.'"
Roughly 18,000 people gave donations to the BLM of Greater Atlanta charity through its Facebook account; Page was the administrator of the account.
From April 2018 to May 2020, the group's bank account — which Page solely managed — received minor transactions never exceeding $5,000, according to an FBI press release. However, BLM of Greater Atlanta monetized George Floyd's death to get significant donations. Page's Facebook reeled in nearly $36,500 in June 2020, nearly $371,000 in July 2020, and nearly $60,000 in August 2020.
Instead of spending the donated money on social justice actions, prosecutors said the 35-year-old Page spent the donations on luxuries for himself.
Prosecutors said Page spent the BLM donations on fine dining, tailor-made suits, “lavish furniture for his bedroom,” a home security system, electronic equipment, entertainment, Walmart shopping sprees, and guns. He reportedly bragged on social media about purchasing his new cuff links, $150 ties, and a penthouse suite.
As Blaze News previously reported, Page purchased a $112,000 property in Toledo in August 2020 under the organization "Hi Frequency Ohio." The fraudulent Black Lives Matter activist allegedly required the seller to sign a nondisclosure agreement that would have prevented the seller from listing Page as the actual buyer.
In April 2020, the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center received a tip accusing Page of misrepresenting himself as a leader of the Black Lives Matter movement and misusing the donated funds.
“I never intended to deceive or take advantage of any donors who supported our cause and this movement,” Page said in court, according to the Toledo Blade. “There were many nonprofit responsibilities I did not fully understand.”
“I am deeply sorry. I apologize to those I may have misled, or who did not think I was fully transparent,” Page stated.
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Rebecca C. Lutzko said, “Mr. Page took advantage of a cause meant to fight social injustices, using it instead to line his own pockets with thousands of dollars of donations. People donate their hard-earned money to support causes they believe in, and when a fraudster like Page comes along and tries to get away with a fake charity scheme, it hurts legitimate nonprofit organizations that rely on the generosity of others to advance their missions and make positive change in the world. This Office will hold accountable those who try to profit by scamming unsuspecting people out of their money like Page did here.”
WAGA-TV reported that Page had been charged three times with impersonating a law enforcement officer in Georgia. He was arrested in 2014 for reportedly wearing a replica of the Atlanta Police officer uniform, in 2015 for allegedly impersonating a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority officer, and in 2016 for purportedly claiming he was an FBI agent.
An IMDB listing shows "Sir Maejor" was an actor in FX's TV series "American Horror Story: Coven" as an "albino guard/henchman."
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