BLM Activist Faces Federal Charges for Allegedly Spending Donations on Personal Use

BLM Activist Faces Federal Charges for Allegedly Spending Donations on Personal Use
A demonstrator holds a card that reads "Black Lives Matter," outside of the Glynn County courthouse in Brunswick, Ga., on June 4, 2020. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
Bill Pan
9/27/2020
Updated:
9/27/2020

An Atlanta-based activist is facing federal charges in Ohio after allegedly spending more than $200,000 in donations intended for the Black Lives Matter movement on personal purchases.

The FBI said Sir Maejor Page, who also goes by the name Tyree Conyers-Page, is charged with one count of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. The 32-year-old social justice activist was arrested on Friday morning in Toledo, Ohio.

According to the FBI, Page created and operated the Black Lives Matter Greater Atlanta (BLMGA) Facebook page representing the non-profit group he registered in 2016. The group’s bank account, which is linked to the BLMGA Facebook page, has never had a balance that exceeded $5,000 between April 2018 and May 2020 and at one point was as low as -$12.42. But donations started pouring after George Floyd’s death in May, and Page assured donors via private Facebook messages that the money would be exclusively used for “movement-related” purposes.

In this still image from video, a "Black Lives Matter" sign is seen in Portland, Ore., on Sept. 3, 2020. (Roman Balmakov/The Epoch Times)
In this still image from video, a "Black Lives Matter" sign is seen in Portland, Ore., on Sept. 3, 2020. (Roman Balmakov/The Epoch Times)

A released federal complaint noted that BLMGA raised nearly $470,000 between June and August this year. FBI investigators said Page used a debit card linked to the group’s account to buy food, entertainment, tailored suits and a new security system. He is also accused of spending $112,000 on a home and a vacant lot in Toledo, and transferring donations into his personal account to buy a pistol and two rifles.

The FBI also said Page took videos showing him bragging about his newly purchased items, hotel rooms, and office space. In a video he posted to his personal Facebook page this August, Page is seen showing off his tailored suits, cufflinks, and “$150 dollar ties.” “They say he gets money this way—you don’t know how I get [explicit] money,” he said in the video, claiming that he worked for a law firm. “If I showed you my account, you would kill yourself.”

GoFundMe announced in a statement Saturday night that it has removed the fundraisers associated with the BLMGA organization and banned Page from using the platform for any future campaigns. It also promised that anyone who donated to the BLMGA campaign can ask for a refund, and that no one will be able to start a new GoFundMe for BLMGA.

“GoFundMe has taken action to ensure you can no longer start a GoFundMe for BLMGA,” the statement read, adding that partner site PayPal has also removed Page from its database. “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.”