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. Check back for details. 2023 Cox Media Group. Lary announced his resignation to the city on a Zoom call Tuesday.. Lary, 60, pleaded. The 60-year-old Lary pleaded guilty in January to fraud and theft charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor C. Wilmot prosecuted the case. They are purposely seeking to tear down everything I have worked to build in Stonecrest. The rescue team said the man was buried up to his neck in soil. . Candidates must pay a $600 qualifying fee. 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. 2023 Cox Media Group. The resolution also adopted a funding plan for most of Stonecrests relief funds. 2: Person of Interest. He then asked the church to give $50,000 back to one of the companies included in the scheme. Attorneys for the Northern District of Georgia, Former Mayor of Stonecrest sentenced to prison for stealing 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, Former Mayor of Stonecrest Sentenced To Prison For Stealing COVID 19 Relief Funds. "You don't recognize Mayor Pro Tem and council and just leave me standing there like I'm not in the meeting. 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. Author: 11alive.com Published: 6:24 PM EST February 11, 2022 Jason Lary admitted he stole more than $650,000 in CARES Act money that was supposed to help struggling businesses and church. A lock ( 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. A former health care executive, Lary was instrumental in convincing the General Assembly to create the city of Stonecrest along I-20 in south DeKalb County. 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,. Third, Lary and others acting on his behalf solicited relief funds from businesses that received grants under the 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. His legal team is citing his health and lack of criminal record should merit a lighter sentence. Hopefully, he gets all of that, Morrell said. Lary previously denied the accusations of fraud. A lock ( Jason Lary, the former mayor of Stonecrest, pleaded guilty, according to a news release. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Former Mayor of Stonecrest sentenced to prison for stealing COVID-19 relief funds 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 discussion comes after the censure of Stonecrest's mayor for comments he made during a meeting. None the less, I will continue to serve the people of the great city of Stonecrest.". Jason Lary stole more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds meant to help the. A locked padlock He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $119,607.69. Instead Lary worked behind the scenes to form a private company, Municipal Resource Partners Corporation, Inc. (MRPC), recruit its CEO, open its bank accounts, and ensure that Lania Boone, his convicted co-conspirator, would be hired as MRPCs bookkeeper. It's been five years since a Carroll County man mysteriously disappeared from his home. Former Stonecrest mayor, bookkeeper plead guilty to theft of COVID relief funds 585 views Feb 11, 2022 5 Dislike Share 11Alive 856K subscribers Jason Lary, the former mayor of. 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. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Lary resigned from his post as a mayor right before filing a guilty plea to the charges, citing health reasons and three battles with cancer. Jason Lary, who announced his resignation as the mayor of Stonecrest, pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal. The image comes from the ancient quarries where highly-trained stonemasons carefully chose the stones used in construction. In a special-called meeting, members of the Stonecrest City Council voted 4-1 to censure Lary. This article originally appeared on the Decatur-Avondale Estates Patch, Reports: 3 children dead, 2 wounded in attack at Texas home, Kellyanne Conway, George Conway To Divorce After Decadeslong Marriage: Report, School punished teen girl for working out in sports bra in 100-degree Texas heat, ACLU says, U.S. court won't require FAA to make airplane seat size, spacing rules, 'Extremely dangerous': Spike in illegal crossings at Canada-Vermont border has feds sounding alarm, SoCal in for cool start to weekend, butlight showers make brief return. 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.. Wilmot said Lary used some of that stolen money to pay off the $108,147 mortgage on his lakefront home in Macon. "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. 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. Jason Lary, whose resignation. Charles Johnson, Sr., has pleaded guilty for not paying $1.4 million in payroll taxes and for failure to pay employment taxes. 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 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. Those duties include acting as the figurehead of the city and appointing members to boards and committees. 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. Lary allegedly had the city improperly enter into a contract with a recently founded nonprofit, Municipal Resource Partners Corporation, to distribute the citys funds as a way to siphon money toward himself and cohorts. Lary is free on bond. DEKALB COUNTY, GA The former mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy, reported WAGA-TV. STONECREST, Ga. Editor's note: The video above is from a previous story. The plan also provided $5 million to the COVID-19 CARES Act Small Business Program (Small Business Program). 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. Now, the sheriff's office is hoping to reignite the search on this cold case. STONECREST, Ga. Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges just hours after resigning Wednesday. Lary, who faces up to 35 years in prison, will be sentenced on May 2. ATLANTA - Clarence Boone, the former Senior Economic Development Manager of Stonecrest, pleaded guilty to conspiring with his wife, Lania Boone, and the former Mayor of Stonecrest, Jason Lary, to steal pandemic relief funds intended to support small businesses in Stonecrest. 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. 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. 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. For example, Lary used relief funds held by Visit Us to pay for an associates political advertising. Boone, who wrote the bulk of the checks using the stolen funds, agreed with that Friday in court. 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. Boone is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12. 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. The censure stemmed from remarks Mayor Lary made at the end of a council meeting on Sept. 27. DeKalb County then disbursed $6.2 million of these relief funds to Stonecrest. "Boones guilty plea further demonstrates our commitment to prosecuting those who seek to exploit COVID relief programs for their own gain. At least two candidates have publicly said theyll run to be the citys next mayor. 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. Charles Johnson, Sr., has pleaded guilty for not paying $1.4 million in payroll taxes and for failure to pay employment taxes. Puede participar en nuestro ensayo sobre EPOC? A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. In or about November 2020, Stonecrest published an application on its website for businesses to apply for relief funds under the Small Business Program. 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. 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. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]. 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 U.S. Attorney's Office alleges Mayor Jason Lary misused $6.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds. 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.. He's accused of federal fraud related to COVID-19 relief funds. That decision will be made at a later date. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford, Chief of Public Integrity and Civil Rights, is prosecuting the case. 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. He said he had surgery in late December 2020. A Georgia Senator said he was unsurprised to hear about the indictment. Lary is expected to be sentenced on July 13 at 10 a.m. The about-face came in. 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. Lary continued with the meeting after an IT tech fixed the problem. BREAKING: 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. 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. Prosecutors said the 59-year-old former mayor concocted a scheme to divert funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. In January, Jason Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal program theft and federal program theft. ATLANTA - Clarence Boone, the former Senior Economic Development Manager of Stonecrest, pleaded guilty to conspiring with his wife, Lania Boone, and the former Mayor of Stonecrest, Jason Lary, to steal pandemic relief funds intended to support small businesses in Stonecrest.