Stonecrest Mayor Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Charges That decision will be made at a later date. 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. In return, prosecutors recommended a lighter sentence of 366 days in confinement half in prison and half as home arrest. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor Wilmot previously prosecuted the case. The plan provided $1 million to the Stonecrest Cares Program for mask distribution, COVID-19 education and testing, and other purposes. DEKALB COUNTY, GA The former mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy, reported WAGA-TV. The first is verse 22, "The stone rejected by the builders has become the corner-stone". At least two candidates have publicly said theyll run to be the citys next mayor. 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. The last day Stonecrest residents can register to vote in time for the special election is April 25. 2023 Cox Media Group. Stonecrest could hold a special election to fill the vacant mayor's seat as early as March. The rescue team said the man was buried up to his neck in soil. Have a question about Government Services? He declined to say what type of cancer he is battling but said it seems to be resurfacing for the third time. He then asked the church to give $50,000 back to one of the companies included in the scheme. Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges - CBS 46 Lary announced his resignation to the city on a Zoom call Tuesday.. 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. "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 city of Stonecrest could hold a special election as early as March to decide Larys replacement. This story is breaking. 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. Hopefully, he gets all of that, Morrell said. An official website of the United States government. Prosecutors said the 59-year-old former mayor concocted a scheme to divert funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Around the same time, Lary directed approximately $7,600 in stolen relief funds to be used for Boones sons college tuition and rent. ATLANTA - After spending nearly a year proclaiming his innocence, former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary admitted masterminding a scheme to steal COVID relief funds. Cobbles term is set to expire in 2026, so another special election will be necessary. "If you don't know protocol, you better learn it with me," said Lary. Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. 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. A bookkeeper and spouse - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Facebook This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. The 60-year-old Lary pleaded guilty in January to fraud and theft charges. 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. 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. 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. Suite 600 his resignation as mayor of Stonecrest became official. ", 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. Hardworking people like us, Will Morrell said. "Quite frankly folks, now its turned ugly," he said during a news conference in April 2021. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]. He does not have to report to prison until Dec. 15, so he can continue treatment for prostate cancer. Lary previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, but his attorney, Dwight Thomas, indicated on Nov. 10 that he would take a plea deal. 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. Then, Lary caused the city to enter a contract with MPRC to disburse the relief funds as directed by Stonecrest. The phrase is quoted by Jesus, who applies it to his mission of death and glory, after having told the . If the special election for the mayors seat requires a runoff election, it will take place June 21. This man's imprisonment shows why California's 'special circumstances DEKALB COUNTY, GA The former mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy, reported WAGA-TV. Roger Stone prosecutors quit after furor over Trump ally's sentence - CNBC He also settled income taxes he owed going back to 2015. 100 people involved in a total of $26 million in CARES Act fraud. 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. 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. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Stonecrest's former Senior Economic Development Manager pleads guilty Former Stonecrest mayor sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison for 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. Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Former Stonecrest mayor resigns and plead guilty to federal fraud charges. 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. Channel 2s Audrey Washington called and emailed Stonecrest officials about the announcement and the hack. 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. Stone clemency order shows Trump wiped prison sentence, supervised Main Office: (FOX 5). 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. His sentencing hearing has been set for May 2. A lock ( Boones case matches the legal process used by Jason Lary, the founding mayor of Stonecrest. 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. 2: Person of Interest. 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. Former Stonecrest mayor, bookkeeper plead guilty to theft of - MSN Boone and the former Mayor conspired to fraudulently line each others pockets with relief funds that were desperately needed by struggling businesses in Stonecrest, said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. 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. 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. Those duties include acting as the figurehead of the city and appointing members to boards and committees. Lock Lary, 59, was the first mayor of Stonecrest, a DeKalb County city of about . The indictment alleges that Smith stole more than $450,000 in Social Security Administration Northern District of Georgia Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, federal program theft, and conspiracy on January 5, 2022. "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. Lary issued a statement to FOX 5 about the censure: "My frustrations have boiled over with this council. First, Lary conspired with Boone to steal relief funds before they were disbursed by MRPC. Stonecrest residents that Jones talked to were outraged. Stonecrest ex-mayor's cohort pleads guilty in fraud scheme 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. He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $119,607.69. 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. Larys last public address to his constituents delivered one last bombshell moment to his tenure. Official websites use .gov 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).