The founder of a fake Black Lives Matter charity was arrested in Ohio Friday after spending $200,000 given to the organization on a home, guns, and suits, authorities said.
Sir Maejor Page, 32, also known as Tyree Conyers Page, was arrested Friday shortly after a raid on a Toledo, Ohio, home, the New York Post reported.
Federal agents said Page ran social media accounts for Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta, but its nonprofit status was revoked in 2019 when the required paperwork was not filed.
A bank account was set up for Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta in 2018, with Page as the sole owner of the account, the Kansas City Star reported.
Authorities said the amount of money in the organization’s bank account never topped more than $5,000 until the George Floyd protests in May. Between June and August, the group received more than $465,000 in donations that were transferred to a bank account operated by Page, according to authorities.
Page allegedly said in June in response to social media inquiries that donations were only used for “movement-related” expenses and not for “personal” expenditures. But the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said it was unable to identify any expenses related to social justice or racial injustice in the $200,000 spending spree.
What the FBI did allegedly find was a debit card linked to the account that made purchases including food, accessories, entertainment, and tailored suits, authorities said. Authorities said he also used his personal bank account to purchase a home in Toledo and an adjacent lot for $112,000.
Page allegedly boasted about his purchases on social media, including clothing, hotel rooms, and office space in Atlanta. He appeared in court on Friday to answer to charges, including one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
Page has been released on $10,000 bond, but he is banned from using social media, fundraising platforms, or opening credit or bank accounts without permission.
GoFundMe said in a statement to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Page had been banned from using the platform and all accounts associated with Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta were removed.
“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 said. “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.”
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