The church was then told to contribute $4,500 to REMC, which officials say the mayor used to pay his own property expenses and dues. 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. Richard B. Russell Federal Building accused of personally profiting from COVID-19 relief money. 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,. 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. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. 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. 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. If the special election for the mayors seat requires a runoff election, it will take place June 21. In January, Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal program theft and federal program theft. Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than. Hardworking people like us, Will Morrell said. 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 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. Lary is free on bond. 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. An official website of the United States government. The indictment alleges that Smith stole more than $450,000 in Social Security Administration Northern District of Georgia In Larys guilty plea, he admitted to making sure that Boone was hired as Municipal Resource Partners bookkeeper. Cobbles term is set to expire in 2026, so another special election will be necessary. The DeKalb County District Attorneys Office will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to bring these bad actors to justice, said DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston. 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. 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. Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. 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. I let us down, he told the court, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Lary, 59, was the first mayor of Stonecrest, a DeKalb County city of about . By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. 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. One of the grants was to his church, which he awarded $150,000. 2023 FOX Television Stations, resignation went into effect at 10 a.m. Wednesday, he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 relief. In total, businesses were defrauded out of hundreds of thousands of dollars of relief funds. Jason Lary, whose resignation. 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. 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. 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. Lary announced his resignation to the city on a Zoom call . The judge says Lary's actions were "deplorable" and rejected a defense request for Lary to avoid prison time. Instead, $108,000 dollars were transferred to pay off the mortgage on a lakefront propertyowned by the former mayor. Example video title will go here for this video, Should Be Alive Ep. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorneys Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. We are putting measures into place to prevent what we experienced during the meeting.. Suite 600 He faces a max sentence of 35 years in prison. "Quite frankly folks, now its turned ugly," he said during a news conference in April 2021. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia, Former U.S. In January, Jason Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal program theft and federal program theft. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]. For example, Lary used relief funds held by Visit Us to pay for an associates political advertising. 2023 Cox Media Group. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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. The federal government permitted DeKalb County to further disburse these relief funds to its municipalities. He's accused of federal fraud related to COVID-19 relief funds. Lary is expected to be sentenced on July 13 at 10 a.m. "Boones guilty plea further demonstrates our commitment to prosecuting those who seek to exploit COVID relief programs for their own gain. Lary and others falsely claimed that the money would be each businesss contribution to Stonecrest-related marketing and advertising. A lock ( His legal team is citing his health and lack of criminal record should merit a lighter sentence. Former Stonecrest mayor sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison for stealing COVID-19 relief funds. Lary faces up to 35 years in prison on all three counts. Police searching for suspect in northwestern Georgia elementary school burglary, Dunwoody Police catch man impersonating officer, Ex-officer charged in Susana Morales' death now charged in 2019 Snellville burglary, Frederick, MD tanker explosion leaves 1 dead; Shuts down part of US-15, Photos show rescue of Woodstock man 'buried up to his neck' in collapsed trench, Clayton County twin sisters make history rising the ranks in Georgia UPS facility, Prominent Roswell restaurant owner charged with sexual crimes involving 2 minors, Families intensify search for two men missing for more than a week, Disneyland banned Rebel Wilson over selfie, actress says, Police issue close to 100 traffic tickets at same Sandy Springs intersection, Georgia baby girl reported missing with man diagnosed with mental illness, police say, Sheriff's office continues five-year-long search for missing Carrollton man. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was the only news outlet at the hearing. 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 . A judge will have the final say on her sentencing; her conspiracy charge carries a maximum of five years behind bars. Lary did not disclose he controlled these companies. Stonecrest was required to spend the relief funds in accordance with the CARES Act. 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford, Chief of Public Integrity and Civil Rights, is prosecuting the case. Inpractice, the Stonecrest Cares Program directed relief funds to churches and non-profit organizations in and around Stonecrest. Lary issued a statement to FOX 5 about the censure: "My frustrations have boiled over with this council. He resigned his post on Jan. 4 and accepted a plea deal the next day for concocting the scheme. 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. ATLANTA (AP) A former Georgia mayor will serve nearly five years in federal prison after stealing nearly $925,000 in COVID-19 relief funds that his city handed out. The resolution also adopted a funding plan for most of Stonecrests 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. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. "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.". 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. STONECREST MAYOR RESPONDS TO ACCUSATIONS OF CARES ACT FUNDS MISUSE. "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. Stonecrest could hold a special election to fill the vacant mayor's seat as early as March. The judge says Larys actions were deplorable and rejected a defense request for Lary to avoid prison time. Lary was supposed to be in office until the end of 2023. 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. This story is breaking. Charles Johnson, Sr., has pleaded guilty for not paying $1.4 million in payroll taxes and for failure to pay employment taxes. That decision will be made at a later date. Now, the sheriff's office is hoping to reignite the search on this cold case. 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. 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 . Lary placed the defendant, Clarence Boone, who was then Senior Economic Development Manager for Stonecrest, in charge of overseeing the Small Business Program. 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. Since Larys term was set to expire at the end of 2023, the city charter requires a special election to fill his post. 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. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia, Former U.S. Lary won the mayors race twice, the citys only mayor in its brief history. Those duties include acting as the figurehead of the city and appointing members to boards and committees. Lary resigned a day before he pleaded guilty to. "You don't recognize Mayor Pro Tem and council and just leave me standing there like I'm not in the meeting. In September 2020, Jason Lary, then the Mayor of Stonecrest, signed a resolution acknowledging these CARES Act requirements. In court on Wednesday, Lary apologized to his family, friends and Stonecrest residents. Stonecrest residents that Jones talked to were outraged. 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. Lania Boone pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program theft on February 11, 2022. The first mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to the federal charges earlier this year. "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 details of Boones plea deal are similar to the one Lary accepted. His sentencing hearing has been set for May 2. The former mayor of Stonecrest who pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges is making a punishment request. 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.. City leaders have not chosen a specific location for the special election to be held. His coconspirators previously pleaded guilty and received the following sentences: This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the DeKalb County District Attorneys Office. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Atlanta, GA 30303-3309. The last day Stonecrest residents can register to vote in time for the special election is April 25. Instead, prosecutors said Lary used the money to cover his own tax liabilities and pay off the mortgage on his lake house. . Secure .gov websites use HTTPS InJuly 2020, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted to disburse some of the relief funds to its municipalities, including a $6.2 million grant to Stonecrest.
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