A prominent leader of an Atlanta BLM group, Tyree Conyers-Page, who refers to himself as Sir Maejor Page, was arrested by the FBI on September 25 on charges of fraud and money laundering. Page allegedly embezzled almost $200,000 from donations he solicited on Facebook on behalf of Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta.
Page has had numerous run-ins with the law starting in December 2014 when he was arrested for impersonating a police officer after he handcuffed a woman in front of a Shell gas station. He said he was working security but he was “wearing a replica of the Atlanta police officer uniform,” complete with a Glock 45 semiautomatic pistol and other gear.
On October 14, 2015, Page was harassing customers at a mini-mart while wearing a bulletproof vest, a loaded Glock 45, two additional loaded magazines, two pairs of handcuffs, OC spray, a baton, a Taser with an extra cartridge, and an ID card. The ID card was for a fugitive apprehension officer. One of the customers whom Page harassed turned out to be an undercover police officer, who again arrested him for impersonating an officer.
In January of 2016, Page impersonated an FBI agent and successfully carried a loaded handgun into the Georgia secretary of state’s corporate records office. He plead guilty to obstructing a police officer and having a weapon in an unauthorized location and is currently on probation.
According to Page’s website, these charges were bogus:
Sir Maejor was falsely arrested and criminally by members of the Atlanta Police Department and Capitol Police for impersonation of a public police officer/FBI agent and a slew of other bogus charges. Faced with possibly serving 30 years in prison, Sir Maejor hired a criminal defense and civil rights attorney, who eventually got the district attorney to drop all of the bogus charges.
In 2015, Page joined the Atlanta BLM movement and became one of its most outspoken leaders. The following year, he was one of a group of protestors who gave a news conference with then-Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Atlanta’s chief of police, demanding changes to police tactics and training. Page said to reporters:
We stand on the shoulders of those that have paved the way for us to be able to protest in the streets and to be able to have our voices heard.”
“We as protesters, and as community organizers, hope that our mayor listens to our concerns and that he actually sits down with the team, which I believe he will, and sees what’s tangible — what can we really make happen,
Page then took the time to warn reporters of protesters hungry for a spotlight:
Folks got to remember, and the press needs to remember that you’re going to find people protesting without a cause. You’re going to find people protesting just because we’re on TV, right? You’ve got folks out there with different agendas, trying to put their organizations on the map.
Following the press conference, the leadership of the Atlanta BLM movement kicked Page out of their group. He formed the BLMGA, which capitalized on George Floyd’s death by taking in over $466,000 in donations from June to August in 2020.
The FBI began an investigation into Page after a cooperating witness submitted a fraud complaint against him. The inquiry soon revealed that Page spent the donations intended for the George Floyd movement on personal items.
FBI agent Matthew Desorbo stated:
Numerous videos and Livestream videos were posted to Page’s personal social media pages showing himself in what appeared to be newly purchased clothing, hotel rooms, and office space in Atlanta. Several audio statements are made by Page in the videos boasting about the money he has, his tailored suits, his nice cufflinks and ‘150 dollar ties.’”
“In sum, Page has spent over $200,000 on personal items generated from donations received through BLMGA Facebook page with no identifiable purchase or expenditure for social or racial justice.
The FBI is also accusing Page of taking $112,000 of the donations to buy a house for himself last month in Toledo, Ohio.
Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta had previously lost its tax-exempt status in 2019 for failing to submit IRS 990 tax returns and was unable to solicit donations, but continued to accept donations through its Facebook page.
A judge released Page on a $10,000 unsecured bond following his court appearance under the conditions “that he refrain from the use of Facebook and any fund-raising activity virtually or in person, and that he does not open any lines of credit or banking accounts without permission from his probation officer.”
As with all things BLM, the leaders promise one thing, but continually deliver something else.
