former stonecrest mayor's accomplice pleads guilty to felony

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. She also agreed to pay restitution. Then, Lary caused the city to enter a contract with MPRC to disburse the relief funds as directed by Stonecrest. 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. 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. "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.". ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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. Former Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary and his former bookkeeper have pleaded guilty to charges related to allegedly stealing COVID relief funds awarded to Stonecrest during the pandemic, officials said. His sentencing hearing has been set for May 2. Candidates must pay a $600 qualifying fee. 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. Lania Boone, 60, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge for her role in a scheme to steal . Lary announced his resignation to the city on a Zoom call Tuesday. A bookkeeper was also involved in the scheme and arraigned, records show. That decision will be made at a later date. "It's time for me to retire from politics and focus on my health," Lary said. ", 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. Those companies were all connected to Lary. The censure stemmed from remarks Mayor Lary made at the end of a council meeting on Sept. 27. The judge says Lary's actions were "deplorable" and rejected a defense request for Lary to avoid prison time. . Yet Lary and others asked that these contributions be given not to Stonecrest, but to entities called Visit Us, Inc. and Battleground Media, LLC. Author: 11alive.com Published: 6:24 PM EST February 11, 2022 A judge will have the final say on her sentencing; her conspiracy charge carries a maximum of five years behind bars. 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. Lania Boone pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program theft on February 11, 2022. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorneys Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. 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. Ronald Bell, who conspired to extort money from Georgia Institute of Technology, has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit extortion. 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. Until a new mayor is elected, the mayors responsibilities will be handled by the mayor pro tem. 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. Lary won the mayors race twice, the citys only mayor in its brief history. In Larys guilty plea, he admitted to making sure that Boone was hired as Municipal Resource Partners bookkeeper. In general, according to the Department of the Treasury, relief funds could only be used to cover costs that [were] necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency. The 60-year-old Lary pleaded guilty in January to fraud and theft charges. Hardworking people like us, Will Morrell said. City leaders have not chosen a specific location for the special election to be held. . Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. In January 2021, Boone used her access to one of MRPCs bank accounts to wire transfer approximately $108,000 of relief funds to a mortgage servicing company. Lary and others falsely claimed that the money would be each businesss contribution to Stonecrest-related marketing and advertising. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia, Former U.S. 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. 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. Shes the wife of Clarence Boone, the citys former economic development director who was fired as a result of investigations in the citys relief program. He's accused of federal fraud related to COVID-19 relief funds. 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. As mayor, he took control of who received $6.2 million in CARES Act money. Inpractice, the Stonecrest Cares Program directed relief funds to churches and non-profit organizations in and around Stonecrest. Lary previously denied the accusations of fraud. Those duties include acting as the figurehead of the city and appointing members to boards and committees. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Lary announced his resignation during a Zoom meeting on Tuesday. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justices National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Larys last public address to his constituents delivered one last bombshell moment to his tenure. Richard B. Russell Federal Building 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. Lary resigned a day before he pleaded guilty to concocting a fraud scheme to steal more than $650,000 in federal pandemic relief funds. This story is breaking. 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. 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. Jason Lary, the former mayor of Stonecrest, pleaded guilty, according to a news release. 2023 Cox Media Group. I let us down, he told the court, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Lary was also ordered to pay $120,000 in restitution as well. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was the only news outlet at the hearing. STONECREST, Ga. Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges just hours after resigning Wednesday. 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 continued with the meeting after an IT tech fixed the problem. "CARES Act funds were intended to help people and businesses harmed by the pandemic, not to line the pockets of public officials entrusted to lead a community", said Philip Wislar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives. Lary directed $7,600 of the federal relief dollars to pay Boones sons college tuition and rent. 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. 2023 FOX Television Stations. Lary, 59, was the first mayor of Stonecrest, a DeKalb County city of about . She is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15, 2022. Boone agreed to cooperate with government agents, provide records and testify at future trials. Lary, 60, pleaded. Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Per federal rules, Stonecrest officials could only spend these relief funds on necessary expenditures related to . STONECREST CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO CENSURE MAYOR AFTER IMMATURE PUBLIC REMARKS, "Lary allegedly abused the power and trust conferred on him as Mayor of Stonecrest to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars intended for COVID-19 relief," said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. 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 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, 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. Father defends terrified family with machete after home intruder breaks through window in middle of night, Paolo Banchero scores 31 points, Magic beat Hornets 117-106. Lary resigned a day before he pleaded guilty to. Lania Boone received a sentence of six months and one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,657.47. Suite 600 The indictment alleges that Smith stole more than $450,000 in Social Security Administration Northern District of Georgia Residents will soon get a chance to elect a new mayor in Stonecrest. For more information on the Departments response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Stonecrest was required to spend the relief funds in accordance with the CARES Act. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. February 21, 2022 Chris Butler. 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. The three conspired to steal and misappropriate relief funds intended for struggling businesses in Stonecrest. His resignation went into effect Wednesday. The former mayor of Stonecrest who pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges is making a punishment request. For example, Lary presented a check for $150,000 in relief funds to Church 1, on the condition that $50,000 be given to a company called Real Estate Management Consultants, LLC (REMC). A lock ( 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. "What the mayor said was unacceptable and does not represent city council," said Mayor Pro Tem George Turner. 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,. If the special election for the mayors seat requires a runoff election, it will take place June 21. In or about November 2020, Stonecrest published an application on its website for businesses to apply for relief funds under the Small Business Program. His sentencing is set for May 2. Instead, Lary spent the money to pay his own property expenses and his dues to the Georgia Campaign Finance Committee. Richard B. Russell Federal Building STONECREST, Ga. Editor's note: The video above is from a previous story. Lary is due in court to answer for fraud allegations. 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. During a struggle to implement new city manager, Lary said he was facing what could be his third battle with cancer. And while Lary falsely stated that the $50,000 would be used to assist with home repairs for people who could not afford them due to COVID-19, in reality he used the money for his own purposes, including to pay off his outstanding federal, state, and local tax liabilities. In return, prosecutors recommended a lighter sentence of 366 days in confinement half in prison and half as home arrest. Have a question about Government Services? [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]. 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. Now, the sheriff's office is hoping to reignite the search on this cold case. They are purposely seeking to tear down everything I have worked to build in Stonecrest. His legal team is citing his health and lack of criminal record should merit a lighter sentence. 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. 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Prosecutors said the 59-year-old former mayor concocted a scheme to divert funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The. Have a question about Government Services? By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. (FOX 5). In court on Wednesday, Lary apologized to his family, friends and Stonecrest residents. Main Office: The 60-year-old Lary pleaded guilty in January to fraud and theft charges. He then asked the church to give $50,000 back to one of the companies included in the scheme. STONECREST, Ga. Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges just hours after resigning Wednesday. If you have additional information, pictures, or video email newstipsatlanta@fox.com. 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 wont be required to report to prison until after Dec. 15, giving him time for more cancer treatments. Lary faces up to 35 years in prison on all three counts. Deana Timberlake-Wiley, Boones attorney, and federal prosecutors declined to comment. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. First, Lary conspired with Boone to steal relief funds before they were disbursed by MRPC. Lary previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, but his attorney, Dwight Thomas, indicated on Nov. 10 that he would take a plea deal. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. His plea came the same morning his resignation as mayor of Stonecrest became official. 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. Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than. Ronald Bell, who conspired to extort money from Georgia Institute of Technology, has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit extortion. However, federal authorities said Lary worked behind the scenes with an organization known as Municipal Resource Partners Corporation, Inc. ("MRPC") to disburse the relief funds. He also resigned as the citys mayor. Jason Lary stole more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds meant to help the. Andrea V. Watson. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. 2023 Cox Media Group. Lary issued a statement to FOX 5 about the censure: "My frustrations have boiled over with this council. Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, federal program theft, and conspiracy on January 5, 2022. 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. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justices National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

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