Jeff Grant
| Jeffrey D. Grant | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born: | June 11, 1956 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Charges: | Loan fraud |
| Sentence: | 18 months |
| Facility: | USP Allenwood |
| Status: | Released |
Jeffrey D. Grant (born June 11, 1956) is an American attorney, ordained minister, and nonprofit executive who served 18 months in federal prison for loan fraud and subsequently became a leading advocate for individuals and families navigating the white-collar criminal justice system through his work with the White Collar Support Group.[1]
Grant was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and practiced law in New York, heading his own firm in Mamaroneck, New York, before federal charges ended his legal career. After his release, Grant earned a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary and co-founded White Collar Support Group, the world's first national support group serving white-collar defendants and their families.[2] Grant has become a leading advocate for the adoption of automatic record expungement in the federal criminal justice system.
In 2021, the Supreme Court of the State of New York reinstated Grant's law license, and he subsequently founded GrantLaw, a firm focused on representing individuals facing federal charges.[3]
Summary
Jeff Grant's journey from real estate attorney to federal inmate to ordained minister and advocate represents one of the more complete personal transformations among formerly incarcerated white-collar offenders. At the height of his legal career, Grant headed a 20-employee firm serving as outside general counsel to major real estate companies. Struggling with stress and addiction, he misrepresented information on an SBA loan application—an act that resulted in federal fraud charges and an 18-month prison sentence that destroyed his career and reputation.[4]
Grant's post-release path distinguished him from others in his situation. Rather than attempting to return quietly to private life, he pursued theological education, became an ordained minister, and devoted his career to helping others facing circumstances similar to his own. Through Progressive Prison Ministries and the White Collar Support Group, Grant has assisted hundreds of individuals and families dealing with federal prosecution. His 2021 law license reinstatement—achieved more than a decade after his conviction—allowed him to combine his legal expertise with his ministry work, offering a unique perspective shaped by personal experience on both sides of the criminal justice system.[2]
Background
Early Life and Education
Jeffrey D. Grant was born on June 11, 1956, in Boston, Massachusetts. He pursued higher education in New York, graduating from SUNY Brockport with a Bachelor of Science in Business and Economics in 1978. Grant then attended New York Law School, earning his Juris Doctor degree in 1981.[5]
Legal Career
After law school, Grant built a successful career in real estate law, eventually establishing his own firm, Jeffrey D. Grant & Associates, in Mamaroneck, New York. The firm grew to employ approximately 20 people and served as outside general counsel to major real estate development companies. Grant developed expertise in commercial transactions and became well-regarded in the Westchester County legal community.[3]
However, beneath his professional success, Grant struggled with addiction and mounting personal pressures. These struggles would ultimately lead to the decisions that ended his first legal career and sent him to federal prison.[2]
Indictment, Prosecution, and Sentencing
The Fraud
Facing financial pressures related to his law practice, Grant misrepresented information on a Small Business Administration loan application. The fraud was not an elaborate scheme but rather, as Grant has described it, "an act of desperation" driven by stress, addiction, and poor judgment. Federal authorities discovered the misrepresentations and charged Grant with loan fraud.[6]
Conviction and Sentencing
Grant pleaded guilty to the fraud charges. He was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution. The conviction resulted in the automatic suspension of his law license in New York and ended his legal career. Grant reported to prison having lost his profession, his firm, and much of his personal life.[5]
Prison Experience
Grant served his sentence at the United States Penitentiary Allenwood, a federal correctional complex in Pennsylvania. During his incarceration, Grant began the process of self-reflection and spiritual exploration that would eventually lead him to ministry. He has spoken and written extensively about his prison experience, using it to help others understand what to expect from federal incarceration and how to use the time productively.[2]
Grant has described the challenges of serving time as a white-collar offender—the loss of identity, the stigma, the difficulty of explaining his circumstances to family—as well as the opportunities he found for personal growth. His time in prison planted the seeds for his later work in prison ministry and advocacy.[7]
Post-Release Career
Ministry and Advocacy
Following his release, Grant pursued theological education at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, earning a Master of Divinity degree with a concentration in Social Ethics in 2012. After graduation, he was called to serve at an inner-city church in Bridgeport, Connecticut, as Associate Minister and Director of Prison Ministries.[5]
Grant and his wife Lynn co-founded Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc., based in Greenwich, Connecticut. The organization became the first ministry in the world specifically devoted to serving individuals navigating the white-collar criminal justice system and their families. Through Progressive Prison Ministries, the Grants provide spiritual support, practical guidance, and advocacy to people facing federal prosecution for white-collar offenses.[2]
As part of this work, Grant co-founded the White Collar Support Group, which provides peer support for white-collar defendants and their families. The group meets regularly and has helped hundreds of individuals cope with the stress, stigma, and practical challenges of federal prosecution and incarceration.[7]
Executive Leadership
From 2016 to 2019, Grant served as Executive Director of Family ReEntry, Inc., a criminal justice nonprofit with offices and programs in eight Connecticut cities and more than 100 employees. Grant was the first person in the United States formerly incarcerated for a white-collar crime to be appointed executive director of a major criminal justice nonprofit organization—a milestone that demonstrated both his rehabilitation and the organization's commitment to second chances.[5]
Return to Law Practice
In May 2021, the Supreme Court of the State of New York reinstated Grant's law license, more than a decade after his conviction and disbarment. The reinstatement represented an extraordinary achievement, as relatively few attorneys succeed in regaining their licenses after felony convictions. Grant subsequently founded GrantLaw, a firm that focuses on representing individuals facing federal charges, particularly white-collar offenses. His practice combines traditional legal services with the perspective and empathy he developed through his own experience and ministry work.[3]
Public Statements and Positions
Grant has been exceptionally open about his crime, addiction, and the factors that led to his downfall. He has spoken on numerous podcasts, at conferences, and to media outlets about his experience, using his story to help others understand how successful professionals can end up facing federal charges and what they can do to navigate the experience.
On the criminal justice system, Grant advocates for reforms that would provide more opportunities for rehabilitation and reentry. He has argued that white-collar offenders often have significant skills and education that can benefit society if they are given opportunities to rebuild their lives after serving their sentences.
Grant emphasizes the spiritual dimension of recovery and rehabilitation, viewing his ministry work as distinct from the commercial prison consulting industry. "It's about God," he has stated, explaining that his work focuses on helping people find meaning and purpose through their experience rather than simply minimizing their sentences.[7]
Terminology
- Loan Fraud: The crime of making false statements or misrepresentations on loan applications to obtain funds under false pretenses.
- SBA Loan: A loan guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration, often used by small businesses to obtain financing.
- Law License Reinstatement: The process by which a disbarred attorney may petition to have their license to practice law restored after demonstrating rehabilitation.
See Also
- White Collar Support Group
- Prison Consultants
- Bank Fraud
- Residential Reentry Centers (Halfway Houses)
- Expungement
- FCI Allenwood (low-security)
- Federal Good Time Credit Policies
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who is Jeff Grant?
Jeff Grant is a former attorney who served 18 months in federal prison for loan fraud and has since become an ordained minister, practicing attorney, and advocate for criminal justice reform. He founded GrantLaw and serves as Executive Director of the White Collar Support Group.
Q: What was Jeff Grant convicted of?
Grant pleaded guilty to loan fraud after misrepresenting information on a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan application. He was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution.
Q: What does Jeff Grant do now?
Grant is a lawyer who operates GrantLaw out of New York City, representing individuals facing federal charges. He is also the Executive Director of the White Collar Support Group, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides peer support for white-collar defendants and their families.
Q: Where did Jeff Grant serve his sentence?
Grant served his 18-month federal sentence at USP Allenwood (low-security) in Pennsylvania. During his incarceration, he began the spiritual exploration that led him to pursue ministry after his release.
Q: What is Jeff Grant's ministry focused on?
Grant co-founded Progressive Prison Ministries with his wife Lynn, the first ministry devoted specifically to serving individuals navigating the white-collar criminal justice system and their families. His work emphasizes spiritual support and rehabilitation rather than simply minimizing sentences.
References
- ↑ Corporate Crime Reporter, "Jeff Grant on White Collar Redemption," https://www.corporatecrimereporter.com/news/200/jeff-grant-on-whitecollar-redemption/.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Rich Roll Podcast, "The Awakening Of Jeff Grant: From Addiction & Incarceration To Prison Ministry," https://www.richroll.com/podcast/jeff-grant-440/.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 GrantLaw, "About Jeff Grant," https://grantlaw.com/about/.
- ↑ GrantLaw, "About Jeff Grant," https://grantlaw.com/about/.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedwiki-grant - ↑ Moffly Media, "The Redemption of Jeff Grant," https://mofflylifestylemedia.com/the-redemption-of-jeff-grant/.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Prisonist, "It's About God: Prison Ministry vs. Prison Consulting," https://prisonist.org/its-about-god-prison-ministry-vs-prison-consulting-by-rev-jeff-grant-jd-m-div/.