A locked padlock 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 citys founding mayor. Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. The relief funds deposited into the Visit Us and Battleground Media accounts were used by Lary to benefit himself and his associates. Lary is free on bond. Main Office: Boone, who wrote the bulk of the checks using the stolen funds, agreed with that Friday in court. 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. His resignation went into effect Wednesday. 75 Ted Turner Dr. SW Former Stonecrest mayor's accomplice pleads guilty to felony - ajc The 60-year-old Lary pleaded guilty in January to fraud and theft charges. The image comes from the ancient quarries where highly-trained stonemasons carefully chose the stones used in construction. 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. 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. 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. ", 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 population is now 60,000 with a budget of more than $13 million. 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. Former Stonecrest Mayor Pleads Guilty To Federal Fraud Charges His legal team is citing his health and lack of criminal record should merit a lighter sentence. Atlanta, GA 30303-3309. Lary directed $7,600 of the federal relief dollars to pay Boones sons college tuition and rent. She is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15, 2022. Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, federal program theft, and conspiracy on January 5, 2022. his resignation as mayor of Stonecrest became official. Former Stonecrest mayor sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison for He then asked the church to give $50,000 back to one of the companies included in the scheme. But he was using it for his own personal needs.. The about-face came in. 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 federal government permitted DeKalb County to further disburse these relief funds to its municipalities. Hopefully, he gets all of that, Morrell said. None the less, I will continue to serve the people of the great city of Stonecrest.". The indictment alleges that Smith stole more than $450,000 in Social Security Administration Northern District of Georgia 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 . Per federal rules, Stonecrest officials could only spend these relief funds on necessary expenditures related to . 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. I should've stayed out for several months, but circumstances prevailed where I needed to come back earlier," Lary said. During a struggle to implement new city manager, Lary said he was facing what could be his third battle with cancer. "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. Second, Lary told churches that received relief funds from the Stonecrest Cares Program that they were required to contribute a portion of those funds for purposes identified by Lary. A lock ( 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). The people of Stonecrest deserved better, and corrupt officials can expect severe consequences for using their offices to commit crimes.. . 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The rescue team said the man was buried up to his neck in soil. 75 Ted Turner Dr. SW "Mr. Lary has serious health challenges and at age 60 the Defendant finds himself facing a legacy of criminal history that is and was 'money motivated,' and not violence or physical harm to others, nor drug related," his legal team writes in a sentencing memorandum filed with the court. The discussion comes after the censure of Stonecrest's mayor for comments he made during a meeting. Wilmot said Lary used some of that stolen money to pay off the $108,147 mortgage on his lakefront home in Macon. Main Office: The rescue team said the man was buried up to his neck in soil. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]. Lary announced his resignation to the city on a Zoom call Tuesday.. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. In Larys guilty plea, he admitted to making sure that Boone was hired as Municipal Resource Partners bookkeeper. 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,. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorneys Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. Inpractice, the Stonecrest Cares Program directed relief funds to churches and non-profit organizations in and around Stonecrest. 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. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It's been five years since a Carroll County man mysteriously disappeared from his home. Roger Stone prosecutors quit after furor over Trump ally's sentence - CNBC "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.". Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta facebook feed(Opens a new window), WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta twitter feed(Opens a new window), WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta instagram feed(Opens a new window), WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta youtube feed(Opens a new window), Reality star Honey Boo Boo was inside speeding Dodge Charger involved in chase with Ga. deputies, 49-year-old man shot multiple times during drug deal in northeast Atlanta, police say, A 17-year-old Gwinnett County girl thought she was taking Percocet; now shes dead, Man rescued after being accidentally buried alive in Cherokee County, Our capital city will die: Georgia senators reject proposal to separate Buckhead from Atlanta. "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 details of Boones plea deal are similar to the one Lary accepted. Larys last public address to his constituents delivered one last bombshell moment to his tenure. Suite 600 "You don't recognize Mayor Pro Tem and council and just leave me standing there like I'm not in the meeting. 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. (Art by Richard Miller). 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. 2: Person of Interest. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga. In September 2020, Jason Lary, the former Mayor of Stonecrest, allocated $5 million of the relief funds to a Small Business Program which would disburse relief funds based on applications submitted by local businesses. A bookkeeper and spouse of a - DeKalb County News Now | Facebook Lary issued a statement to FOX 5 about the censure: "My frustrations have boiled over with this council. We have no response about the Mayors resignation, city officials said. 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. Former Stonecrest mayor, bookkeeper plead guilty to theft of COVID In one case, federal investigators alleged that Lary gave a church $150,000 under the condition that they would give a third of the money to a company called Real Estate Management Consultants LLC, which Lary controlled. Lania Boone, 60, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge for her role in a scheme to steal . 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). Have a question about Government Services? BREAKING: A bookkeeper - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Facebook One of the grants was to his church, which he awarded $150,000. Check back for details. The Stone that the Builders Rejected Became the Cornerstone? Around the same time, Lary directed approximately $7,600 in stolen relief funds to be used for Boones sons college tuition and rent. 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. Channel 2s Audrey Washington called and emailed Stonecrest officials about the announcement and the hack. DEKALB COUNTY, GA The former mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy, reported WAGA-TV. Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. Jason Lary, whose resignation. 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. Lary won the mayors race twice, the citys only mayor in its brief history. The resolution also adopted a funding plan for most of Stonecrests relief funds. A judge will have the final say on her sentencing; her conspiracy charge carries a maximum of five years behind bars. Lary used three different methods to steal the funds Stonecrest disbursed to MRPC. 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. Former Los Angeles City Councilmember Jose Huizar pleaded guilty Friday to charges of racketeering and tax evasion, admitting that he extorted at least $1.5 million in bribes from real estate . Stonecrest residents that Jones talked to were outraged. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]. 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. Yet Lary and others asked that these contributions be given not to Stonecrest, but to entities called Visit Us, Inc. and Battleground Media, LLC. 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 . Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges He said he had surgery in late December 2020. In January, Jason Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal program theft and federal program theft. Lary did not tell Church 1 at this time that he actually controlled REMC. Instead, $108,000 dollars were transferred to pay off the mortgage on a lakefront propertyowned by the former mayor. 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.. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The first mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to the federal charges earlier this year. Former mayor of metro Atlanta city pleads guilty to fraud The. Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges, Former Stonecrest mayor resigns and plead guilty to federal fraud charges, WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta facebook feed(Opens a new window), WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta twitter feed(Opens a new window), WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta instagram feed(Opens a new window), WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta youtube feed(Opens a new window), more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds, Reality star Honey Boo Boo was inside speeding Dodge Charger involved in chase with Ga. deputies, 49-year-old man shot multiple times during drug deal in northeast Atlanta, police say, A 17-year-old Gwinnett County girl thought she was taking Percocet; now shes dead, Man rescued after being accidentally buried alive in Cherokee County, Our capital city will die: Georgia senators reject proposal to separate Buckhead from Atlanta. In a special-called meeting, members of the Stonecrest City Council voted 4-1 to censure Lary. 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. Lary asked potential recipients to kickback 25% of their grant to other companies for "marketing" purposes. Federal authorities brought the mayor of Stonecrest to court alleging he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 relief granted to the city. Former mayor admits role in COVID relief fraud scheme 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. Lania Boone, a bookkeeper Lary hired for one of companies, admitted to helping the former mayor siphon CARES act money for personal use. Author: 11alive.com Published: 6:24 PM EST February 11, 2022 The judge says Lary's actions were "deplorable" and rejected a defense request for Lary to avoid prison time. He's accused of federal fraud related to COVID-19 relief funds. Cobbles term is set to expire in 2026, so another special election will be necessary. 100 people involved in a total of $26 million in CARES Act fraud. 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. For more information on the Departments response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. 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. Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Former Stonecrest mayor resigns and plead guilty to federal fraud charges. The U.S. Attorney's Office alleges Mayor Jason Lary misused $6.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds. This sentencing holds Lary accountable for abusing his position of trust and blatant disrespect for the law.. Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than. Richard B. Russell Federal Building At least two candidates have publicly said theyll run to be the citys next mayor. A bookkeeper was also involved in the scheme and arraigned, records show. 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. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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. He resigned his post on Jan. 4 and accepted a plea deal the next day for concocting the scheme. Stonecrest Mayor Pleads Guilty to Stealing Georgia COVID-19 Relief 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. "There was never an interest on anybodys part to kick back or filter money back or any of that nonsense.". Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. "If you don't know protocol, you better learn it with me," said Lary. 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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