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. Former L.A. Councilmember Jose Huizar pleads guilty in corruption case Jason Lary, the former mayor of Stonecrest, pleaded guilty, according to a news release. Per federal rules, Stonecrest officials could only spend these relief funds on necessary expenditures related to . Bookkeeper admits to role helping former Stonecrest mayor steal COVID Stonecrest's former Senior Economic Development Manager pleads guilty The population is now 60,000 with a budget of more than $13 million. Boone was the companys bookkeeper and wrote multiple checks to disburse the funds, records show. 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 U.S. Attorney's Office alleges Mayor Jason Lary misused $6.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds. The potential stakes are high for offenders who break new guidelines. "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. "Boones guilty plea further demonstrates our commitment to prosecuting those who seek to exploit COVID relief programs for their own gain. Stonecrest did not disburse the $6 million allocated to the Stonecrest Cares Program and Small Business Program. DEKALB COUNTY, GA The former mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy, reported WAGA-TV. Lary is due in court to answer for fraud allegations. STONECREST MAYOR JASON LARY RESIGNS DAY BEFORE FEDERAL COURT DATE, FORMER STONECREST MAYOR ADMINS ROLE IN COVID RELIEF FRAUD SCHEME. 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. Stonecrest residents that Jones talked to were outraged. Stonecrest's Jason Lary COVID funds fraud case - 11Alive.com Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Lary, who faces up to 35 years in prison, will be sentenced on May 2. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Official websites use .gov We have no response about the Mayors resignation, city officials said. Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Erskine told the FOX 5 I-Team he is accused of pocketing more than $650,000. 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. Lary also made the defendants wife, Lania Boone, the bookkeeper charged with distributing relief funds. 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. 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. For more information on the Departments response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Former Stonecrest Mayor Pleads Guilty To Federal Fraud Charges The relief funds were designed to cover costs during the public health emergency. 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. The city's first mayor did not mention his legal troubles in a resignation speech. Sandra D. Smith has been arraigned on federal charges of wire fraud and theft of government funds. Lary won the mayors race twice, the citys only mayor in its brief history. BREAKING: A bookkeeper - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Facebook Former Stonecrest mayor, bookkeeper plead guilty to theft of COVID Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. 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. Former Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary pleads guilty to federal - WAGA Have a question about Government Services? 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. In September 2020, Jason Lary, then the Mayor of Stonecrest, signed a resolution acknowledging these CARES Act requirements. Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Former Stonecrest mayor resigns and plead guilty to federal fraud charges. 75 Ted Turner Dr. SW Lary announced his resignation during a Zoom meeting on Tuesday. 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. 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,. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorneys Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]. "Quite frankly folks, now its turned ugly," he said during a news conference in April 2021. 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. 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. In a special-called meeting, members of the Stonecrest City Council voted 4-1 to censure Lary. The judge says Larys actions were deplorable and rejected a defense request for Lary to avoid prison time. I should've stayed out for several months, but circumstances prevailed where I needed to come back earlier," Lary said. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. 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. 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. Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges - CBS 46 Former Stonecrest mayor sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison for stealing COVID-19 relief funds. The first is verse 22, "The stone rejected by the builders has become the corner-stone". 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. He does not have to report to prison until Dec. 15, so he can continue treatment for prostate cancer. A bookkeeper and spouse of a - DeKalb County News Now | Facebook 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. Stonecrest was required to spend the relief funds in accordance with the CARES Act. That decision will be made at a later date. Main Office: That money was supposed to go to people like us. 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. 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. Lary agreed that he diverted at least $650,000 in relief money by requiring Stonecrest churches and businesses to kick back a portion of their grant money to companies he controlled. ATLANTA - The former Mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing COVID-19 relief funds that were supposed to go to struggling businesses. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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. Lania Boone, 60, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge for her role in a scheme to steal . Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford, Chief of Public Integrity and Civil Rights, is prosecuting the case. 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. Lary wont be required to report to prison until after Dec. 15, giving him time for more cancer treatments. Former advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, Roger Stone, leaves the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse after being found guilty of obstructing a congressional investigation into . February 21, 2022 Chris Butler. 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. Hardworking people like us, Will Morrell said. The city of Stonecrest could hold a special election as early as March to decide Larys replacement. 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. At least two candidates have publicly said theyll run to be the citys next mayor. 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. 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Instead, prosecutors said Lary used the money to cover his own tax liabilities and pay off the mortgage on his lake house. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. For example, Lary used relief funds held by Visit Us to pay for an associates political advertising. Former Stonecrest mayor sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison for "It's time for me to retire from politics and focus on my health," Lary said. The 60-year-old Lary pleaded guilty in January to fraud and theft charges. Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. "If you don't know protocol, you better learn it with me," said Lary. This story is breaking. 75 Ted Turner Dr. SW He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $119,607.69. He resigned his post on Jan. 4 and accepted a plea deal the next day for concocting the scheme. ATLANTA - After spending nearly a year proclaiming his innocence, former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary admitted masterminding a scheme to steal COVID relief funds. Lary is free on bond. In return, prosecutors recommended a lighter sentence of 366 days in confinement half in prison and half as home arrest. Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges just hours after resigning Wednesday.
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