He does not have to report to prison until Dec. 15, so he can continue treatment for prostate cancer. Clarence Boone, 60, of Decatur, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program theft and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 13, 2023. Stonecrest could hold a special election to fill the vacant mayor's seat as early as March. Puede participar en nuestro ensayo sobre EPOC? Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives. His resignation went into effect Wednesday. He then asked the church to give $50,000 back to one of the companies included in the scheme. 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. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. The potential stakes are high for offenders who break new guidelines. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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. 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 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,. Third, Lary and others acting on his behalf solicited relief funds from businesses that received grants under the Small Business Program. The relief funds were designed to cover costs during the public health emergency. He faces a max sentence of 35 years in prison. 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. 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 citys founding mayor. Atlanta, GA 30303-3309. 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). Lary did not tell the businesses that he controlled these entities. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor C. Wilmot prosecuted the case. He has not been charged with a crime. We have no response about the Mayors resignation, city officials said. 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. Lary was arraigned in November 2021, accused of personally profiting from COVID-19 relief money. Jason Lary, whose resignation. The indictment alleges that Smith stole more than $450,000 in Social Security Administration Northern District of Georgia His sentencing is set for May 2. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. That decision will be made at a later date. 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. 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. Have a question about Government Services? The city will hold a special election on May 24 to fill the rest of the mayors term after the office was vacated by Jason Lary in January. Those companies were all connected to Lary. STONECREST, Ga. Editor's note: The video above is from a previous story. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford, Chief of Public Integrity and Civil Rights, is prosecuting the case. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Suite 600 Lary, who faces up to 35 years in prison, will be sentenced on May 2. A lock ( Check back for details. . 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. But he was using it for his own personal needs.. He also settled income taxes he owed going back to 2015. Lary previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, but his attorney, Dwight Thomas, indicated on Nov. 10 that he would take a plea deal. 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. 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. Around the same time, Lary directed approximately $7,600 in stolen relief funds to be used for Boones sons college tuition and rent. Lary and others falsely claimed that the money would be each businesss contribution to Stonecrest-related marketing and advertising. This sentencing holds Lary accountable for abusing his position of trust and blatant disrespect for the law.. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]. Boones case matches the legal process used by Jason Lary, the founding mayor of Stonecrest. 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. STONECREST, Ga. - A bookkeeper hired by former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary has pleaded guilty to conspiracy for her part in a scheme to steal COVID relief funds. His sentencing is set for May 2. 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. Lary wont be required to report to prison until after Dec. 15, giving him time for more cancer treatments. Lania Boone pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program theft on February 11, 2022. Lary announced his resignation to the city on a Zoom call Tuesday. 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. That money was supposed to go to people like us. 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. 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 first mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to the federal charges earlier this year. 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. Yet Lary and others asked that these contributions be given not to Stonecrest, but to entities called Visit Us, Inc. and Battleground Media, LLC. "You don't recognize Mayor Pro Tem and council and just leave me standing there like I'm not in the meeting. 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. 2021 5 Feb. "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone" ( Psalm 118:22 ). He explained he needs to take some time to work with doctors and care for himself. Lary used three different methods to steal the funds Stonecrest disbursed to MRPC. We are putting measures into place to prevent what we experienced during the meeting.. Lary asked potential recipients to kickback 25% of their grant to other companies for "marketing" purposes. Lary faces up to 35 years in prison on all three counts. his resignation as mayor of Stonecrest became official. 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. Those duties include acting as the figurehead of the city and appointing members to boards and committees. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. I should've stayed out for several months, but circumstances prevailed where I needed to come back earlier," Lary said. 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. Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. 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. 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. 2023 Cox Media Group. Larys last public address to his constituents delivered one last bombshell moment to his tenure. He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $119,607.69. Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, federal program theft, and conspiracy on January 5, 2022. His sentencing hearing has been set for May 2. None the less, I will continue to serve the people of the great city of Stonecrest.". The former mayor of Stonecrest who pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges is making a punishment request. 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. 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. He declined to say what type of cancer he is battling but said it seems to be resurfacing for the third time. Author: 11alive.com Published: 6:24 PM EST February 11, 2022 During a struggle to implement new city manager, Lary said he was facing what could be his third battle with cancer. Sandra D. Smith has been arraigned on federal charges of wire fraud and theft of government funds. 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. 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. Lary is free on bond. Stonecrest was required to spend the relief funds in accordance with the CARES Act. Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. 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. 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. Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary on Wednesday pleaded guilty to wire fraud, federal program theft and conspiracy to commit federal program theft, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia, Former U.S. 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. 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. 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. Jason Lary admitted he stole more than $650,000 in CARES Act money that was supposed to help struggling businesses and church. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Lary announced his resignation to the city on a Zoom call Tuesday.. The qualification period will take place roughly a month before the election date, and it must end 25 days before the election takes place. The discussion comes after the censure of Stonecrest's mayor for comments he made during a meeting. "There was never an interest on anybodys part to kick back or filter money back or any of that nonsense.". 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. 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. The population is now 60,000 with a budget of more than $13 million. 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ATLANTA - After spending nearly a year proclaiming his innocence, former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary admitted masterminding a scheme to steal COVID relief funds. In September 2020, Jason Lary, then the Mayor of Stonecrest, signed a resolution acknowledging these CARES Act requirements. 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. 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. Richard B. Russell Federal Building DeKalb County then disbursed $6.2 million of these relief funds to Stonecrest. Lary did not tell Church 1 at this time that he actually controlled REMC. The 60-year-old Lary pleaded guilty in January to fraud and theft charges. Lania Boone, 60, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge for her role in a scheme to steal federal pandemic relief funds. The 60-year-old Lary pleaded guilty in January to fraud and theft charges. 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. Lary previously denied the accusations of fraud. 2022-02-12 - By Zachary Hansen zachary.hansen@ajc.com. A locked padlock The people of Stonecrest deserved better, and corrupt officials can expect severe consequences for using their offices to commit crimes.. Then, Lary caused the city to enter a contract with MPRC to disburse the relief funds as directed by 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. . . In January, Jason Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal program theft and federal program theft. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. One of the grants was to his church, which he awarded $150,000. Stonecrest did not disburse the $6 million allocated to the Stonecrest Cares Program and Small Business Program. 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. STONECREST, Ga. Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges just hours after resigning Wednesday. Lary won the mayors race twice, the citys only mayor in its brief history. Boone, who wrote the bulk of the checks using the stolen funds, agreed with that Friday in court. Lary resigned a day before he pleaded guilty to concocting a fraud scheme to steal more than $650,000 in federal pandemic relief funds. 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. 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. Jason Lary, who announced his resignation as the mayor of Stonecrest, pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal. 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 pleaded guilty to wire fraud, federal program theft, and conspiracy on January 5, 2022. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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. accused of personally profiting from COVID-19 relief money. 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 city's first mayor did not mention his legal troubles in a resignation speech. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was the only news outlet at the hearing. The. 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. The resolution also adopted a funding plan for most of Stonecrests relief funds. The plan also provided $5 million to the COVID-19 CARES Act Small Business Program (Small Business Program). 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. Now, the sheriff's office is hoping to reignite the search on this cold case. Sandra D. Smith has been arraigned on federal charges of wire fraud and theft of government funds. Credit: Photo courtesy of Boston College Athletics, Former Stonecrest mayors accomplice pleads guilty to felony, Stonecrest councilwoman among candidates running to replace disgraced mayor, Jahmyr Gibbs: Georgia Tech helped make me who I am today, Georgia Tech closes regular season with win over Boston College. Suite 600 February 21, 2022 Chris Butler. In court on Wednesday, Lary apologized to his family, friends and Stonecrest residents. His legal team is citing his health and lack of criminal record should merit a lighter sentence. No stone was more important than the cornerstone because the integrity of the whole structure depended on the cornerstone containing . The rescue team said the man was buried up to his neck in soil. Lary continued with the meeting after an IT tech fixed the problem. Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than. Jason Lary stole more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds meant to help the. Later in December 2020 and January 2021, Clarence Boone coordinated with Lary and Lania Boone to use $108,155.52 of relief funds to pay off the mortgage on Larys lakefront home in Macon, Georgia, and used more than $7,600 of relief funds to pay college tuition, a meal plan, books, and rent for Clarence Boones son. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS 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. 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 . As mayor, he took control of who received $6.2 million in CARES Act money. On Wednesday, Channel 2s Tom Jones was in the courtroom as Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal program theft and federal program theft. Jason Lary admitted he stole more than $650,000 in CARES Act money that was supposed to help struggling businesses and church. Richard B. Russell Federal Building 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. Sentencing is scheduled for May 12. "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. Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. The details of Boones plea deal are similar to the one Lary accepted. "It's time for me to retire from politics and focus on my health," Lary said. Atlanta, GA 30303-3309. Instead, prosecutors said Lary used the money to cover his own tax liabilities and pay off the mortgage on his lake house. 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. Lania Boone, 60, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge for her role in a scheme to steal . The censure stemmed from remarks Mayor Lary made at the end of a council meeting on Sept. 27. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Former Stonecrest mayor sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison for stealing COVID-19 relief funds. 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. A judge will have the final say on her sentencing; her conspiracy charge carries a maximum of five years behind bars. 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. In total, businesses were defrauded out of hundreds of thousands of dollars of relief funds. "Boones guilty plea further demonstrates our commitment to prosecuting those who seek to exploit COVID relief programs for their own gain. 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. He then asked the church to give $50,000 back to one of the companies included in the scheme. 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. Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary is asking for a lighter sentence than he faces after pleading guilty to allegedly stealing COVID relief funds awarded to the city during the pandemic. The 45-minute Zoom call in which he announced his resignation was hacked and briefly displayed a video game and then a brief snippet of pornography. 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 was also ordered to pay $120,000 in restitution as well. City leaders have not chosen a specific location for the special election to be held.

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