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. Now, the sheriff's office is hoping to reignite the search on this cold case. Author: 11alive.com Published: 6:24 PM EST February 11, 2022 Former mayor asks judge if he can serve sentence from home after Lania Boone, Larys co-conspirator, pleaded guilty to conspiracy on February 11, 2022. 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. For example, Lary used relief funds held by Visit Us to pay for an associates political advertising. A lock ( Lary previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, but his attorney, Dwight Thomas, indicated on Nov. 10 that he would take a plea deal. 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. 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. "Boones guilty plea further demonstrates our commitment to prosecuting those who seek to exploit COVID relief programs for their own gain. "What the mayor said was unacceptable and does not represent city council," said Mayor Pro Tem George Turner. Richard B. Russell Federal Building A bookkeeper and spouse of a - DeKalb County News Now | Facebook Former mayor of metro Atlanta city pleads guilty to fraud Since Larys term was set to expire at the end of 2023, the city charter requires a special election to fill his post. The about-face came in. Stone clemency order shows Trump wiped prison sentence, supervised Those duties include acting as the figurehead of the city and appointing members to boards and committees. Ronald Bell, who conspired to extort money from Georgia Institute of Technology, has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit extortion. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]. 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. Former mayor of Stonecrest pleads guilty to federal charges The Stone that the Builders Rejected Became the Cornerstone? Later, in March 2021, after learning of an investigation into the citys handling of relief funds and knowing that the business had never filed paperwork to support the grant, Clarence Boone attempted to conceal the scheme by directing the businesss owner to submit an application that contained false statements, even though the Small Business Program had already ceased operations. Jason Lary, whose resignation. Erskine told the FOX 5 I-Team he is accused of pocketing more than $650,000. The last day Stonecrest residents can register to vote in time for the special election is April 25. Boone, who wrote the bulk of the checks using the stolen funds, agreed with that Friday in court. Now, the sheriff's office is hoping to reignite the search on this cold case. 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. The relief funds deposited into the Visit Us and Battleground Media accounts were used by Lary to benefit himself and his associates. 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. Former Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary pleads guilty to federal - WAGA In September 2020, Jason Lary, then the Mayor of Stonecrest, signed a resolution acknowledging these CARES Act requirements. This man's imprisonment shows why California's 'special circumstances Lary, 60, pleaded guilty in January to wire fraud, federal program theft and conspiracy to commit federal program theft. The. 75 Ted Turner Dr. SW Lary used three different methods to steal the funds Stonecrest disbursed to MRPC. Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges just hours after resigning Wednesday. In another case, Lary allegedly gave a church $50,000. Have a question about Government Services? Lary, 59, was the first mayor of Stonecrest, a DeKalb County city of about . Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than. 2023 Cox Media Group. Lary was also ordered to pay $120,000 in restitution as well. 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. Jason Lary admitted he stole more than $650,000 in CARES Act money that was supposed to help struggling businesses and church. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga. 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. Stonecrest ex-mayor's cohort pleads guilty in fraud scheme Third, Lary and others acting on his behalf solicited relief funds from businesses that received grants under the Small Business Program. Suite 600 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 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 mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford, Chief of Public Integrity and Civil Rights, is prosecuting the case. 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,. Lary placed the defendant, Clarence Boone, who was then Senior Economic Development Manager for Stonecrest, in charge of overseeing the Small Business Program. His sentencing is set for May 2. In court on Wednesday, Lary apologized to his family, friends and Stonecrest residents. An official website of the United States government. Wilmot said Lary used some of that stolen money to pay off the $108,147 mortgage on his lakefront home in Macon. A bookkeeper and spouse - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Facebook Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, federal program theft, and conspiracy on January 5, 2022. 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. Lary, 60, pleaded. One of the grants was to his church, which he awarded $150,000. Around the same time, Lary directed approximately $7,600 in stolen relief funds to be used for Boones sons college tuition and rent. 2022-02-12 - By Zachary Hansen zachary.hansen@ajc.com. 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. 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. Boone is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12. Both Boone and Lary remain out of jail on bond until their sentencing hearings. "You don't recognize Mayor Pro Tem and council and just leave me standing there like I'm not in the meeting. Deana Timberlake-Wiley, Boones attorney, and federal prosecutors declined to comment. 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 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. 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. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Lary is free on bond. FORMER MAYOR ADMITS ROLE IN COVID RELIEF FRAUD SCHEME. But he was using it for his own personal needs.. Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges He's accused of federal fraud related to COVID-19 relief funds. Sandra D. Smith has been arraigned on federal charges of wire fraud and theft of government funds. His sentencing hearing has been set for May 2. If the special election for the mayors seat requires a runoff election, it will take place June 21. "It's time for me to retire from politics and focus on my health," Lary said. 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. Lary issued a statement to FOX 5 about the censure: "My frustrations have boiled over with this council. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. The 60-year-old Lary pleaded guilty in January to fraud and theft charges. Stonecrest mayor appeared in federal court about misusing CARES fund 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. Former Stonecrest mayor, bookkeeper plead guilty to theft of COVID 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, 60, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge for her role in a scheme to steal . I should've stayed out for several months, but circumstances prevailed where I needed to come back earlier," Lary said. his resignation as mayor of Stonecrest became official. His plea came the same morning his resignation as mayor of Stonecrest became official. Lary wont be required to report to prison until after Dec. 15, giving him time for more cancer treatments. The discussion comes after the censure of Stonecrest's mayor for comments he made during a meeting. He faces a max sentence of 35 years in prison. The resolution also adopted a funding plan for most of Stonecrests relief funds. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorneys Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. . A lock ( His sentencing is set for May 2. Lania Boone, 60, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge for her role in a scheme to steal federal pandemic relief funds. Roger Stone prosecutors quit after furor over Trump ally's sentence - CNBC 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. Prosecutors said the 59-year-old former mayor concocted a scheme to divert funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Former mayor admits role in COVID relief fraud scheme The FBI and prosecutors found that $108,000 of relief funds were used to pay off the mortgage on a lakefront home owned by Lary, while another $7,600 was used to pay college tuition and rent for Boones son. The people of Stonecrest deserved better, and corrupt officials can expect severe consequences for using their offices to commit crimes., 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. 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.. 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 phrase is quoted by Jesus, who applies it to his mission of death and glory, after having told the . 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. 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.