He then asked the church to give $50,000 back to one of the companies included in the scheme. Like the rest of the country, the residents and businesses of Stonecrest community looked to its government for vital assistance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2020, Jason Lary, then the Mayor of Stonecrest, signed a resolution acknowledging these CARES Act requirements. 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. "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. He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $119,607.69. 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. 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. 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. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives. 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. The people of Stonecrest deserved better, and corrupt officials can expect severe consequences for using their offices to commit crimes.. As mayor, he took control of who received $6.2 million in CARES Act money. I let us down, he told the court, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. For more information on the Departments response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Lary is expected to be sentenced on July 13 at 10 a.m. ATLANTA (AP) A suburban Atlanta mayor pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges a day after announcing his resignation from office. 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. A Georgia Senator said he was unsurprised to hear about the indictment. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. One of the grants was to his church, which he awarded $150,000. Lary announced his resignation during a Zoom meeting on Tuesday. Jason Lary, whose resignation went into effect at 10 a.m. Wednesday, pleaded guilty to three counts involving wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy. 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. ATLANTA - After spending nearly a year proclaiming his innocence, former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary admitted masterminding a scheme to steal COVID relief funds. DEKALB COUNTY, GA The former mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy, reported WAGA-TV. "Boones guilty plea further demonstrates our commitment to prosecuting those who seek to exploit COVID relief programs for their own gain. Instead, prosecutors said Lary used the money to cover his own tax liabilities and pay off the mortgage on his lake house. Shes the wife of Clarence Boone, the citys former economic development director who was fired as a result of investigations in the citys relief program. Lary announced his resignation to the city on a Zoom call . An official website of the United States government. Puede participar en nuestro ensayo sobre EPOC? Lary asked potential recipients to kickback 25% of their grant to other companies for "marketing" purposes. Lary placed the defendant, Clarence Boone, who was then Senior Economic Development Manager for Stonecrest, in charge of overseeing the Small Business Program. For more information on the Departments response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Boone, who wrote the bulk of the checks using the stolen funds, agreed with that Friday in court. The resolution also adopted a funding plan for most of Stonecrests relief funds. Hopefully, he gets all of that, Morrell said. I should've stayed out for several months, but circumstances prevailed where I needed to come back earlier," Lary said. The details of Boones plea deal are similar to the one Lary accepted. Example video title will go here for this video, Should Be Alive Ep. In a special-called meeting, members of the Stonecrest City Council voted 4-1 to censure Lary. Lary previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, but his attorney, Dwight Thomas, indicated on Nov. 10 that he would take a plea deal. Sandra D. Smith has been arraigned on federal charges of wire fraud and theft of government funds. . The indictment alleges that Smith stole more than $450,000 in Social Security Administration Northern District of Georgia ", 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. Both Boone and Lary remain out of jail on bond until their sentencing hearings. The city's first mayor did not mention his legal troubles in a resignation speech. Lary previously denied the accusations of fraud. 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. 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. Official websites use .gov Jason Lary admitted he stole more than $650,000 in CARES Act money that was supposed to help struggling businesses and church. First, Lary conspired with Boone to steal relief funds before they were disbursed by MRPC. Deana Timberlake-Wiley, Boones attorney, and federal prosecutors declined to comment. STONECREST MAYOR RESPONDS TO ACCUSATIONS OF CARES ACT FUNDS MISUSE. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Former Stonecrest mayor resigns and plead guilty to federal fraud charges. A judge will have the final say on her sentencing; her conspiracy charge carries a maximum of five years behind bars. Those companies were all connected to Lary. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia, Former U.S. We have no response about the Mayors resignation, city officials said. 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. His sentencing hearing has been set for May 2. She also agreed to pay restitution. 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. Channel 2s Audrey Washington called and emailed Stonecrest officials about the announcement and the hack. They are purposely seeking to tear down everything I have worked to build in Stonecrest. Lary also made the defendants wife, Lania Boone, the bookkeeper charged with distributing relief funds. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The relief funds were designed to cover costs during the public health emergency. He then asked the church to give $50,000 back to one of the companies included in the scheme. Lary used three different methods to steal the funds Stonecrest disbursed to MRPC. 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. 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. Jason Lary stole more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds meant to help the. Atlanta, GA 30303-3309. The plan provided $1 million to the Stonecrest Cares Program for mask distribution, COVID-19 education and testing, and other purposes. The 60-year-old Lary pleaded guilty in January to fraud and theft charges. The U.S. Attorney's Office alleges Mayor Jason Lary misused $6.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds. 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. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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. For example, Lary used relief funds held by Visit Us to pay for an associates political advertising. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Instead, $108,000 dollars were transferred to pay off the mortgage on a lakefront propertyowned by the former mayor. 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. 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. District 3 Councilwoman Jazzmin Cobble announced last week she will resign her post once she qualifies to run for mayor, and former District 5 councilwoman Diane Adoma told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution she will run as well. 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. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Boone was the companys bookkeeper and wrote multiple checks to disburse the funds, records show. Now, the sheriff's office is hoping to reignite the search on this cold case. Jason Lary admitted he stole more than $650,000 in CARES Act money that was supposed to help struggling businesses and church. Main Office: A locked padlock Those duties include acting as the figurehead of the city and appointing members to boards and committees. The phrase is quoted by Jesus, who applies it to his mission of death and glory, after having told the . Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. 2023 FOX Television Stations. The image comes from the ancient quarries where highly-trained stonemasons carefully chose the stones used in construction. Lary and Boone knew the purpose of the transfer was to pay off the mortgage on a lakefront home owned by 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. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
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