His legal team is citing his health and lack of criminal record should merit a lighter sentence. All rights reserved. Lary did not disclose he controlled these companies. Author: 11alive.com Published: 6:24 PM EST February 11, 2022 By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Former Mayor of Stonecrest sentenced to prison for stealing COVID-19 relief funds ATLANTA - Jason Lary, the former Mayor of the City of Stonecrest, has been sentenced for using his elected office to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds allocated to the city. Prosecutors said the 59-year-old former mayor concocted a scheme to divert funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. A locked padlock Stonecrest received $6.2 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds, and the two are accused of taking some of the funds for themselves. Lary wont be required to report to prison until after Dec. 15, giving him time for more cancer treatments. Residents will soon get a chance to elect a new mayor in Stonecrest. "It's time for me to retire from politics and focus on my health," Lary said. A former health care executive, Lary was instrumental in convincing the General Assembly to create the city of Stonecrest along I-20 in south DeKalb County. Lary previously denied the accusations of fraud. Lania Boone pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program theft on February 11, 2022. Stonecrest mayor charged in alleged misuse of CARES Act federal funds Lary previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, but his attorney, Dwight Thomas, indicated on Nov. 10 that he would. Mayor Jason Lary and others in the city of Stonecrest is charged with mishandling 650,000 of CARES money meant for the citizens of Stonecrest. ATLANTA - After spending nearly a year proclaiming his innocence, former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary admitted masterminding a scheme to steal COVID relief funds. Lary betrayed the trust placed in him by the citizens of Stonecrest by stealing the very funds meant to help his constituents weather the COVID-19 pandemic, said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. He's accused of federal fraud related to COVID-19 relief funds. Candidates must pay a $600 qualifying fee. Stonecrest Mayor Pleads Guilty to Stealing Georgia COVID-19 Relief "He certainly, as alleged by the Grand Jury, used his position as mayor of Stonecrest to divert those funds and used his influence and connections," Erskine said. The former Mayor of Stonecrest Jason Lary pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing COVID-19 relief funds that were supposed to go to struggling businesses. Later, in March 2021, after learning of an investigation into the citys handling of relief funds and knowing that the business had never filed paperwork to support the grant, Clarence Boone attempted to conceal the scheme by directing the businesss owner to submit an application that contained false statements, even though the Small Business Program had already ceased operations. "If you don't know protocol, you better learn it with me," said Lary. This sentencing holds Lary accountable for abusing his position of trust and blatant disrespect for the law.. Lary directed $7,600 of the federal relief dollars to pay Boones sons college tuition and rent. The potential stakes are high for offenders who break new guidelines. Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Former Stonecrest mayor sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison for stealing COVID-19 relief funds In January, Jason Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal program theft and federal program theft. Those duties include acting as the figurehead of the city and appointing members to boards and committees. Lary betrayed the trust placed in him by the citizens of Stonecrest by stealing the very funds meant to help his constituents weather the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan said. He faces a max sentence of 35 years in prison. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorneys Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. Former Stonecrest mayor, bookkeeper plead guilty to theft of COVID relief funds 585 views Feb 11, 2022 5 Dislike Share 11Alive 856K subscribers Jason Lary, the former mayor of. Stonecrest Mayor Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Charges Former Stonecrest Mayor Pleads Guilty To Federal Fraud Charges DEKALB COUNTY, GA The former mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy, reported WAGA-TV. Now, the sheriff's office is hoping to reignite the search on this cold case. Hopefully, he gets all of that, Morrell said. 2023 FOX Television Stations, resignation went into effect at 10 a.m. Wednesday, he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 relief. Hardworking people like us, Will Morrell said. The three conspired to steal and misappropriate relief funds intended for struggling businesses in Stonecrest. Former Mayor of Stonecrest sentenced to prison for stealing COVID-19 ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. He declined to say what type of cancer he is battling but said it seems to be resurfacing for the third time. Lary previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, but his attorney, Dwight Thomas, indicated on Nov. 10 that he would take a plea deal. Lary faces up to 35 years in prison on all three counts. The U.S. Attorney's Office alleges Mayor Jason Lary misused $6.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Lary announced his resignation to the city on a Zoom call . Instead, $108,000 dollars were transferred to pay off the mortgage on a lakefront propertyowned by the former mayor. A bookkeeper and spouse of a former Stonecrest official accepted a plea deal in federal court Friday afternoon for participating in the same fraud scheme that brought down the city's founding mayor. 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Boone and the former Mayor conspired to fraudulently line each others pockets with relief funds that were desperately needed by struggling businesses in Stonecrest, said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. Yet Lary and others asked that these contributions be given not to Stonecrest, but to entities called Visit Us, Inc. and Battleground Media, LLC. Lania Boone, Larys co-conspirator, pleaded guilty to conspiracy on February 11, 2022. A bookkeeper was also involved in the scheme and arraigned, records show. Clarence Boone, 60, of Decatur, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program theft and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 13, 2023. The City Council voted Monday to set the election date, determine qualifying information and formally ask ask the DeKalb County Board of Registrations and Elections to run the election. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia, Former U.S. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford, Chief of Public Integrity and Civil Rights, is prosecuting the case. The federal government permitted DeKalb County to further disburse these relief funds to its municipalities. District 3 Councilwoman Jazzmin Cobble announced last week she will resign her post once she qualifies to run for mayor, and former District 5 councilwoman Diane Adoma told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution she will run as well. On October 28, 2020, for example, Clarence Boone and Lary circumvented the application process and directed more than $50,000 to a business that they knew was not conducting any legitimate operations, and Lania Boone ultimately wrote the check to disburse the funds. Lary is accused of stealing more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds meant to help the people of Stonecrest who he was supposed to serve. That decision will be made at a later date. An official website of the United States government. accused of personally profiting from COVID-19 relief money. The 60-year-old Lary pleaded guilty in January to fraud and theft charges. Charles Johnson, Sr., has pleaded guilty for not paying $1.4 million in payroll taxes and for failure to pay employment taxes. A locked padlock A lock ( Lary was arraigned in November 2021, accused of personally profiting from COVID-19 relief money. Stonecrest sets May election date to replace mayor after guilty - ajc Stonecrest ex-mayor's cohort pleads guilty in fraud scheme He then asked the church to give $50,000 back to one of the companies included in the scheme. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia, Former U.S. Suite 600 Have a question about Government Services? According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: In March 2020, the President signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act into law in response to the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jason Lary, who announced his resignation as the mayor of Stonecrest, pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal. Lary was supposed to be in office until the end of 2023. Suite 600 His plea came the same morning his resignation as mayor of Stonecrest became official. Boone agreed to cooperate with government agents, provide records and testify at future trials. Per federal rules, Stonecrest officials could only spend these relief funds on necessary expenditures related to . I let us down, he told the court, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The people of Stonecrest deserved better, and corrupt officials can expect severe consequences for using their offices to commit crimes., It is extremely disheartening when an elected official, someone sworn to protect the community they serve, violates that oath by stealing relief funds intended to aid their community, said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. The relief funds were designed to cover costs during the public health emergency. In a special-called meeting, members of the Stonecrest City Council voted 4-1 to censure Lary. "I did the best I could do with what we had in place.". The 60-year-old Lary pleaded guilty in January to fraud and theft charges. Main Office: Jason Lary received a sentence of four years and nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $119,607.69. The discussion comes after the censure of Stonecrest's mayor for comments he made during a meeting. 100 people involved in a total of $26 million in CARES Act fraud. Former mayor of Stonecrest pleads guilty to federal charges Former mayor admits role in COVID relief fraud scheme In total, businesses were defrauded out of hundreds of thousands of dollars of relief funds. Former Stonecrest Mayor Pleads Guilty To Federal Fraud Charges First, Lary conspired with Boone to steal relief funds before they were disbursed by MRPC. At least two candidates have publicly said theyll run to be the citys next mayor. "Quite frankly folks, now its turned ugly," he said during a news conference in April 2021. Stone clemency order shows Trump wiped prison sentence, supervised The FBI and prosecutors found that $108,000 of relief funds were used to pay off the mortgage on a lakefront home owned by Lary, while another $7,600 was used to pay college tuition and rent for Boones son. Attorneys for the Northern District of Georgia, Stonecrests former Senior Economic Development Manager pleads guilty to theft of COVID-19 relief funds, https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form, CEO of Atlanta engineering firm pleads guilty to failing to pay payroll taxes, Arizona man pleads guilty to extorting Georgia Tech, Georgia woman charged with stealing over $450,000 in government and retirement benefits, Stonecrests Former Senior Economic Development Manager Pleads Guilty To Theft of COVID 19 Relief Funds. Stonecrest's Jason Lary COVID funds fraud case - 11Alive.com MATTIE'S CALL: A 9-month-old baby girl was reported missing from the Ellenwood area with a man police say was diagnosed with a mental illness. STONECREST, Ga. Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges just hours after resigning Wednesday. The censure stemmed from remarks Mayor Lary made at the end of a council meeting on Sept. 27. Boone is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12. Boone was the companys bookkeeper and wrote multiple checks to disburse the funds, records show. The former Mayor of Stonecrest Jason Lary pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing COVID-19 relief funds that were supposed to go to struggling businesses. Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary is asking for a lighter sentence than he faces after pleading guilty to allegedly stealing COVID relief funds awarded to the city during the pandemic. Later in December 2020 and January 2021, Clarence Boone coordinated with Lary and Lania Boone to use $108,155.52 of relief funds to pay off the mortgage on Larys lakefront home in Macon, Georgia, and used more than $7,600 of relief funds to pay college tuition, a meal plan, books, and rent for Clarence Boones son. Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges - CBS 46 Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Former Stonecrest mayor sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison for Those companies were all connected to Lary. DeKalb County then disbursed $6.2 million of these relief funds to Stonecrest. ATLANTA Jason Lary, the former Mayor of the City of Stonecrest, has been sentenced for using his elected office to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds allocated to the city. "Larys guilty plea was the first in righting the wrongs committed against the people of Stonecrest, who were wrongfully deprived of hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to provide COVID-19 relief," said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. Former Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary is met by FOX 5 I-Team Reporter Randy Travis as he walks into the federal courthouse in Atlanta to enter a guilty plea to stealing CARES Act money on Jan. 5, 2022. He resigned his post on Jan. 4 and accepted a plea deal the next day for concocting the scheme. 2022-02-12 - By Zachary Hansen zachary.hansen@ajc.com. ATLANTA - Clarence Boone, the former Senior Economic Development Manager of Stonecrest, pleaded guilty to conspiring with his wife, Lania Boone, and the former Mayor of Stonecrest, Jason Lary, to steal pandemic relief funds intended to support small businesses in Stonecrest. The judge says Lary's actions were "deplorable" and rejected a defense request for Lary to avoid prison time. Sandra D. Smith has been arraigned on federal charges of wire fraud and theft of government funds. Ignoring input from the official selection committee, from about November 2020, until about February 2021, Boone signed dozens of checks on behalf of MRPC, directing relief funds to individuals, businesses, churches, and non-profit organizations of Larys own choosing. He does not have to report to prison until Dec. 15, so he can continue treatment for prostate cancer. Briefs: 11Alives news director goes to Gray; Honey Boo Boos boyfriend arrested; Marlon Woman accused of killing ill husband released from jail, Class 7A: Semifinal coverage from Georgia State, DeKalb volunteers to plant 150 trees during March, Decatur hosts second community meeting on March 2, Atlantas Carter Center preps for future without founder, Photography club captures hope during pandemic, March food and drink events to check out in metro Atlanta. A bookkeeper and spouse of a former Stonecrest official accepted a plea deal in federal court Friday afternoon for participating in the same fraud scheme that brought down the city's founding mayor. The rescue team said the man was buried up to his neck in soil. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was the only news outlet at the hearing. With Lary now 60 years old and with no criminal history, his legal team requested that house arrest, community service and statutory required supervision be considered for his sentence. Stonecrest did not disburse the $6 million allocated to the Stonecrest Cares Program and Small Business Program. This article originally appeared on the Decatur-Avondale Estates Patch, Reports: 3 children dead, 2 wounded in attack at Texas home, Kellyanne Conway, George Conway To Divorce After Decadeslong Marriage: Report, School punished teen girl for working out in sports bra in 100-degree Texas heat, ACLU says, U.S. court won't require FAA to make airplane seat size, spacing rules, 'Extremely dangerous': Spike in illegal crossings at Canada-Vermont border has feds sounding alarm, SoCal in for cool start to weekend, butlight showers make brief return. Lary announced his resignation to the city on a Zoom call Tuesday.. Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. Wilmot said Lary used some of that stolen money to pay off the $108,147 mortgage on his lakefront home in Macon. Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges, Former Stonecrest mayor resigns and plead guilty to federal fraud charges, Stonecrest mayor appeared in federal court about misusing CARES fund. An official website of the United States government. Former Stonecrest mayor, bookkeeper plead guilty to theft of - MSN Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary is asking for a lighter sentence than he faces after pleading guilty to allegedly stealing COVID relief funds awarded to the city during the pandemic. Jones tried to get a comment from Larys attorney after court, but he refused to make a statement. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorneys Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. Small businesses that applied for financial relief were asked on an application form if theyd be willing to give 25% of the grant to one of three companies to market their business. 75 Ted Turner Dr. SW Jason Lary stole more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds meant to help the. . Federal prosecutors said that in addition to paying off personal debt, Lary conducted a scheme where he asked small businesses and churches to whom he allocated grants to give 25% of the money to companies connected to himself and co-conspirators. Around October 2021, the United States seized approximately $480,000 of fraud proceeds held in the bank accounts of Visit Us and Battleground Media. Both Boone and Lary remain out of jail on bond until their sentencing hearings. Ronald Bell, who conspired to extort money from Georgia Institute of Technology, has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit extortion. Check back for details. Stonecrest Mayor Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Charges It is extremely disheartening when an elected official, someone sworn to protect the community they serve, violates that oath by stealing relief funds intended to aid their community, said Keri Farley, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta. We have no response about the Mayors resignation, city officials said. U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash sentenced Stonecrest ex-mayor Jason Lary to 57 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay nearly $120,000 in restitution. The former mayor of Stonecrest who pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges is making a punishment request. Last year the Northern District of Georgia US Attorney's office prosecuted at least 100 people involved in a total of $26 million in CARES Act fraud. Under the CARES Act, the federal government distributed COVID-19 relief funds to individual Americans, federal agencies, and state and local governments, including $125 million to DeKalb County. The image comes from the ancient quarries where highly-trained stonemasons carefully chose the stones used in construction. Credit: Photo courtesy of Boston College Athletics, Former Stonecrest mayors accomplice pleads guilty to felony, Stonecrest councilwoman among candidates running to replace disgraced mayor, Jahmyr Gibbs: Georgia Tech helped make me who I am today, Georgia Tech closes regular season with win over Boston College. A bookkeeper and spouse of a former Stonecrest official accepted a plea deal in federal court Friday afternoon for participating in the same fraud scheme that brought down the city's founding mayor. Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]. STONECREST MAYOR RESPONDS TO ACCUSATIONS OF CARES ACT FUNDS MISUSE. Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Lary is due in court to answer for fraud allegations. Former Stonecrest mayor sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison for Official websites use .gov This man's imprisonment shows why California's 'special circumstances ATLANTA Former Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary was sentenced to 57 months in prison Wednesday after he stole more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds meant for the recovery of businesses,. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. His sentencing hearing has been set for May 2. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. Until a new mayor is elected, the mayors responsibilities will be handled by the mayor pro tem. Lary won the mayors race twice, the citys only mayor in its brief history. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He said he had surgery in late December 2020. Jason Lary, whose resignation went into effect at 10 a.m. Wednesday, pleaded guilty to three counts involving wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy. Instead Lary worked behind the scenes to form a private company, Municipal Resource Partners Corporation, Inc. (MRPC), recruit its CEO, open its bank accounts, and ensure that Lania Boone, his convicted co-conspirator, would be hired as MRPCs bookkeeper. Larys last public address to his constituents delivered one last bombshell moment to his tenure. Cobbles term is set to expire in 2026, so another special election will be necessary. A bookkeeper and spouse of a former Stonecrest official accepted a plea deal in federal court Friday afternoon for participating in the same fraud scheme that brought down the city's founding. ATLANTA - Jason Lary, the former mayor of Stonecrest, and Lania Boone, a bookkeeper for the entity that administered COVID-19 relief funds awarded to Stonecrest, have pleaded guilty to.
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