Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, federal program theft, and conspiracy on January 5, 2022. First, Lary conspired with Boone to steal relief funds before they were disbursed by MRPC. Lary announced his resignation to the city on a Zoom call Tuesday. Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges, Former mayor of Stonecrest, bookkeeper plead guilty to theft of COVID-19 relief funds, LIST: Schools across Georgia closing early ahead of possible severe weather, Gallery of storm damage across GA: Send us your photos, videos, Firefighters rescue Cherokee County man buried up to his neck in trench, Excel Church gives despite recovery from fire, Father and 9-month-old daughter reported missing in Clayton County, 26-year-old woman shot while driving in Decatur, Sign up for Atlanta News First Newsletters. 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. The FBI will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to ensure stolen relief funds are returned to the public, and individuals involved in this type of fraud are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.. He said he had surgery in late December 2020. Stonecrest did not disburse the $6 million allocated to the Stonecrest Cares Program and Small Business Program. ", 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. The city will hold a special election on May 24 to fill the rest of the mayor's term after the office was vacated by Jason Lary in January. 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. This sentencing holds Lary accountable for abusing his position of trust and blatant disrespect for the law.. Official websites use .gov 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. The 60-year-old Lary pleaded guilty in January to fraud and theft charges. 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. The former mayor of Stonecrest and a bookkeeper who administered COVID-19 relief funds to the town pleaded guilty in federal court this month to charges related to the theft of pandemic relief funds. 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. In court on Wednesday, Lary apologized to his family, friends and Stonecrest residents. Lary announced his resignation during a Zoom meeting on Tuesday. Have a question about Government Services? Like the rest of the country, the residents and businesses of Stonecrest community looked to its government for vital assistance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A judge will have the final say on her sentencing; her conspiracy charge carries a maximum of five years behind bars. STONECREST, Ga. Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges just hours after resigning Wednesday. February 21, 2022 Chris Butler. Boone is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. Lary, 59, was the first mayor of Stonecrest, a DeKalb County city of about . DeKalb County then disbursed $6.2 million of these relief funds to Stonecrest. The indictment alleges that Smith stole more than $450,000 in Social Security Administration Northern District of Georgia and were incurred during the period that [began] on March 1, 2020, and [ended] on December 30, 2020. Examples of eligible expenditures were medical expenses, public health expenses, and grants to small businesses to reimburse the costs of business interruption caused by required closures. The rescue team said the man was buried up to his neck in soil. Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Former Stonecrest mayor resigns and plead guilty to federal fraud charges. Lania Boone, a bookkeeper Lary hired for one of companies, admitted to helping the former mayor siphon CARES act money for personal use. Lary resigned from his post as a mayor right before filing a guilty plea to the charges, citing health reasons and three battles with cancer. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor C. Wilmot prosecuted the case. Lock 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. Lania Boone pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program theft on February 11, 2022. The qualification period will take place roughly a month before the election date, and it must end 25 days before the election takes place. 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. The population is now 60,000 with a budget of more than $13 million. The Justice Department on Monday released President Trump's clemency order for longtime GOP operative Roger Stone showing the president not only wiped away Stone's prison sentence but also a . The plan provided $1 million to the Stonecrest Cares Program for mask distribution, COVID-19 education and testing, and other purposes. 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. A bookkeeper was also involved in the scheme and arraigned, records show. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 2023 Cox Media Group. Lary also made the defendants wife, Lania Boone, the bookkeeper charged with distributing relief funds. Credit: Photo courtesy of Boston College Athletics, Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges, Stonecrest passes on March election date to replace mayor after guilty fraud plea, Jahmyr Gibbs: Georgia Tech helped make me who I am today, Georgia Tech closes regular season with win over Boston College. Yet Lary and others asked that these contributions be given not to Stonecrest, but to entities called Visit Us, Inc. and Battleground Media, LLC. Court documents show he was arraigned on the charges after relief funds expected to be allocated to the Stonecrest Cares Program and Small Business Program never made it to the city initiatives. 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. SB 300, also called the Sentencing Reform Act, would rewrite part of Proposition 115, a 1990 ballot initiative that expanded the definition of first-degree murder to include murder committed . He also settled income taxes he owed going back to 2015. Lania Boone, 60, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge for her role in a scheme to steal federal pandemic relief funds. As another example, Lary presented a check from MRPC for $50,000 to Church 2. Later, a person acting on Larys behalf told Church 2 to contribute $4,500 of the relief funds to REMC, purportedly for rent assistance. In return, prosecutors recommended a lighter sentence of 366 days in confinement half in prison and half as home arrest. The details of Boones plea deal are similar to the one Lary accepted. His sentencing hearing has been set for May 2. Since Larys term was set to expire at the end of 2023, the city charter requires a special election to fill his post. The relief funds deposited into the Visit Us and Battleground Media accounts were used by Lary to benefit himself and his associates. We have no response about the Mayors resignation, city officials said. That decision will be made at a later date. Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, federal program theft, and conspiracy on January 5, 2022. The three conspired to steal and misappropriate relief funds intended for struggling businesses in Stonecrest. He faces a max sentence of 35 years in prison. He does not have to report to prison until Dec. 15, so he can continue treatment for prostate cancer. Lary did not tell Church 1 at this time that he actually controlled REMC. Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. I should've stayed out for several months, but circumstances prevailed where I needed to come back earlier," Lary said. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives. In or about November 2020, Stonecrest published an application on its website for businesses to apply for relief funds under the Small Business Program. Instead, Lary spent the money to pay his own property expenses and his dues to the Georgia Campaign Finance Committee. The first mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to the federal charges earlier this year. Now, the sheriff's office is hoping to reignite the search on this cold case. One of the grants was to his church, which he awarded $150,000. Lary used three different methods to steal the funds Stonecrest disbursed to MRPC. 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. Around October 2021, the United States seized approximately $480,000 of fraud proceeds held in the bank accounts of Visit Us and Battleground Media. In total, businesses were defrauded out of hundreds of thousands of dollars of relief funds. ATLANTA - After spending nearly a year proclaiming his innocence, former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary admitted masterminding a scheme to steal COVID relief funds. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS In September 2020, Jason Lary, then the Mayor of Stonecrest, signed a resolution acknowledging these CARES Act requirements. 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. Suite 600 Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary on Wednesday pleaded guilty to wire fraud, federal program theft and conspiracy to commit federal program theft, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Then, Lary caused the city to enter a contract with MPRC to disburse the relief funds as directed by Stonecrest. The last day Stonecrest residents can register to vote in time for the special election is April 25. Jason Lary stole more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds meant to help the. Lary did not disclose he controlled these companies. 2: Person of Interest. The rescue team said the man was buried up to his neck in soil. Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges just hours after resigning Wednesday. A lock ( Lary allegedly had the city improperly enter into a contract with a recently founded nonprofit, Municipal Resource Partners Corporation, to distribute the citys funds as a way to siphon money toward himself and cohorts. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. While I was out on cancer leave, they removed me from every committee I created, refused to pay my car allowance, while paying six figures to the finance director and $209,000 annually to the acting city manager (including a car allowance). The phrase is quoted by Jesus, who applies it to his mission of death and glory, after having told the . ATLANTA (AP) A suburban Atlanta mayor pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges a day after announcing his resignation from office. The application included the question, are you willing to allocate 25% of your grant to marketing your business? Hundreds of businesses applied for relief funds, but most of the applicants were rejected. A former suburban Atlanta mayor was sentenced to nearly five years in prison on Wednesday for masterminding a scheme to steal nearly $925,000 of the $6.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds that. 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. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga. The discussion comes after the censure of Stonecrest's mayor for comments he made during a meeting. Jones tried to get a comment from Larys attorney after court, but he refused to make a statement. Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. For more information on the Departments response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. 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. Charles Johnson, Sr., has pleaded guilty for not paying $1.4 million in payroll taxes and for failure to pay employment taxes. 2023 FOX Television Stations. 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. DEKALB COUNTY, GA The former mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy, reported WAGA-TV. 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. 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. Lary issued a statement to FOX 5 about the censure: "My frustrations have boiled over with this council. For example, Lary used relief funds held by Visit Us to pay for an associates political advertising. "If you don't know protocol, you better learn it with me," said Lary. The U.S. Attorney's Office alleges Mayor Jason Lary misused $6.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds. He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $119,607.69. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Deana Timberlake-Wiley, Boones attorney, and federal prosecutors declined to comment. A locked padlock Main Office: 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. He resigned his post on Jan. 4 and accepted a plea deal the next day for concocting the scheme. Author: 11alive.com Published: 6:24 PM EST February 11, 2022 Stonecrest could hold a special election to fill the vacant mayor's seat as early as March. Jason Lary, 60, of Stonecrest, Georgia, has been sentenced to four years and nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorneys Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. Earlier this year, Lary pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud, conspiracy and federal program theft for his role in stealing more than $650,000. Lary announced his resignation to the city on a Zoom call . Lary previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, but his attorney, Dwight Thomas, indicated on Nov. 10 that he would take a plea deal. That money was supposed to go to people like us. The city of Stonecrest could hold a special election as early as March to decide Larys replacement. 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. Now, the sheriff's office is hoping to reignite the search on this cold case. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. BREAKING: 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. "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. Instead of being a trustworthy steward of CARES Act funding, Clarence Boone and his co-conspirators schemed to misappropriate those funds to enrich themselves at the expense of those less fortunate. Inpractice, the Stonecrest Cares Program directed relief funds to churches and non-profit organizations in and around Stonecrest. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Richard B. Russell Federal Building The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. In January, Jason Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal program theft and federal program theft. 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. One of the grants was to his church, which he awarded $150,000. 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, churches and the people of the city. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Lary wont be required to report to prison until after Dec. 15, giving him time for more cancer treatments. Boone, who wrote the bulk of the checks using the stolen funds, agreed with that Friday in court. They are purposely seeking to tear down everything I have worked to build in Stonecrest. If the special election for the mayors seat requires a runoff election, it will take place June 21. Lary and Boone knew the purpose of the transfer was to pay off the mortgage on a lakefront home owned by Lary. "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. Puede participar en nuestro ensayo sobre EPOC? Per federal rules, Stonecrest officials could only spend these relief funds on necessary expenditures related to . 2022-02-12 - By Zachary Hansen zachary.hansen@ajc.com. Lary won the mayors race twice, the citys only mayor in its brief history. Lary was arraigned in November 2021, accused of personally profiting from COVID-19 relief money. "The question of compassion to this Honorable Court is what is the appropriate sentenced for the conduct of this Defendant who, when confronted 'fessed up' and avoided costly indictment and made good faith efforts to cooperate with the Government," court documents read. In another case, Lary allegedly gave a church $50,000. 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. 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. "Instead of providing aid to Stonecrests deserving citizens, Lary allegedly diverted funds for his own use, including to pay off his taxes and the mortgage on his lakefront home.". Jason Lary, whose resignation. He then asked the church to give $50,000 back to one of the companies included in the scheme. Lary, 60, pleaded guilty in January to wire fraud, federal program theft and conspiracy to commit federal program theft. 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Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Former Stonecrest mayor resigns and plead guilty to federal fraud charges. His legal team is citing his health and lack of criminal record should merit a lighter sentence. 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. Suite 600 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. Lary faces up to 35 years in prison on all three counts. Jason Lary, the former mayor of Stonecrest, pleaded guilty, according to a news release. (Art by Richard Miller). The relief funds were designed to cover costs during the public health emergency. 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. 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. He has not been charged with a crime. Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. 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. DEKALB COUNTY, GA The former mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy, reported WAGA-TV. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. STONECREST, Ga. - A bookkeeper hired by former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary has pleaded guilty to conspiracy for her part in a scheme to steal COVID relief funds. His sentencing is set for May 2. The judge says Lary's actions were "deplorable" and rejected a defense request for Lary to avoid prison time. The censure stemmed from remarks Mayor Lary made at the end of a council meeting on Sept. 27. 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