UK: Black Lives Matter activist handed jail-term for spending charity money on herself

A Black Lives Matter activist was found guilty of siphoning off tens of thousands of dollars in fundraising donations from her group into her personal bank account, enabling her to maintain a lavish lifestyle.

Following a trial, she was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.

As per reports, Xahra Saleem, a 23-year-old London resident, was the director of Changing Your Mindset, a nonprofit that helped underprivileged young people in Bristol.

In response to George Floyd’s death in the United States on June 7, 2020, Saleem organized a Black Lives Matter demonstration.

Saleem was observed participating in the demonstration, which culminated in the toppling and dumping of a statue depicting slave trader Edward Colston into Bristol Harbor.

Reports say, Saleem established a fundraising website to buy personal protective equipment (PPE) in order to lawfully support the BLM march before marching and demolishing the Colston statue.

Restrictions related to the COVID-19 epidemic were in effect at the time of the march.

She raised more than £32,000, or over $39,000 in US dollars, and moved the funds to her own bank accounts.

Saleem spent the money between June 2020 and September 2021 on a new iPhone, haircuts and cosmetic procedures, clothes, Amazon orders, and taxis, among other things.

Saleem made more than 2,500 payments from her account during that time, according to Judge Michael Longman, who oversaw her trial. He called it a “constant leakage over a significant period of time.”

Saleem eventually admitted to misusing her authority as director of Changing Your Mindset and entered a plea of guilty to fraud.

Saleem was informed by Judge Longman that her fundraising efforts for Changing Your Mindset were for a “worthwhile cause.”

However, she was “funding a lifestyle” for herself that she could not “otherwise have afforded” when she utilized the money for her own gain rather than the benefit of the kids.

“In the absence of a business account to pay the money into, the decision was made to pay it into your own account as an interim measure,” the judge explained.

“The project’s other participants trusted you to keep the money safe until a better plan could be worked out.”

“There should have been no reason why the money could not be transferred into that account, but problems became apparent,” said Judge Longman. “The money was not transferred, and you made excuses for that failure.”

A company account was opened in April 2021, but she neglected to move the funds to it. She also said she would turn herself in to the police, but she never did.

Saleem reportedly informed a friend about the scam via WhatsApp in June 2021, as stated in court, adding, “I have done something horrendous, you can’t tell anyone until I have properly sorted it out.”

The court also discovered that there were apologetic messages on Saleem’s phone.

She claimed in court that she was suffering from psychosis, which kept her from thinking clearly.