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. Official websites use .gov Have a question about Government Services? Atlanta, GA 30303-3309. Up to $10,000 reward now being offered in finding missing Georgia family man in Baton Rouge, Woman shot near DeKalb gas station; police say person cut her off, pulled out handgun, Forecast | Bright sunshine returns for the weekend, Metro Atlanta, north Georgia hit with widespread damage after storms produce powerful winds, Former Stonecrest mayor, bookkeeper plead guilty to theft of COVID relief funds, Ex-Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges, Stonecrest mayor, who is facing federal charges, says he will resign. His resignation went into effect Wednesday. 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.. 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. The rescue team said the man was buried up to his neck in soil. Library : Stone Rejected Has Become Cornerstone, The An official website of the United States government. 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. FORMER MAYOR ADMITS ROLE IN COVID RELIEF FRAUD SCHEME. . The details of Boones plea deal are similar to the one Lary accepted. The Stone that the Builders Rejected Became the Cornerstone? Lary did not tell Church 1 at this time that he actually controlled REMC. Ronald Bell, who conspired to extort money from Georgia Institute of Technology, has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit extortion. Federal prosecutors said that in addition to paying off personal debt, Lary conducted a scheme where he asked small businesses and churches to whom he allocated grants to give 25% of the money to companies connected to himself and co-conspirators. A locked padlock The phrase is quoted by Jesus, who applies it to his mission of death and glory, after having told the . "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. The people of Stonecrest deserved better, and corrupt officials can expect severe consequences for using their offices to commit crimes.. The last day Stonecrest residents can register to vote in time for the special election is April 25. The resolution also adopted a funding plan for most of Stonecrests relief funds. That decision will be made at a later date. Lary asked potential recipients to kickback 25% of their grant to other companies for "marketing" purposes. Stonecrest could hold a special election to fill the vacant mayor's seat as early as March. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Atlanta, GA 30303-3309. 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. Candidates must pay a $600 qualifying fee. 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. The censure stemmed from remarks Mayor Lary made at the end of a council meeting on Sept. 27. 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. Lary placed the defendant, Clarence Boone, who was then Senior Economic Development Manager for Stonecrest, in charge of overseeing the Small Business Program. Those duties include acting as the figurehead of the city and appointing members to boards and committees. 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Then, Lary caused the city to enter a contract with MPRC to disburse the relief funds as directed by Stonecrest. ATLANTA - After spending nearly a year proclaiming his innocence, former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary admitted masterminding a scheme to steal COVID relief funds. The image comes from the ancient quarries where highly-trained stonemasons carefully chose the stones used in construction. Around October 2021, the United States seized approximately $480,000 of fraud proceeds held in the bank accounts of Visit Us and Battleground Media. He also resigned as the citys mayor. The 60-year-old Lary pleaded guilty in January to fraud and theft charges. 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). Former Stonecrest Mayor Pleads Guilty To Federal Fraud Charges 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. Those companies were all connected to Lary. The mayor only votes in the event of a tie a rarity for a five-member City Council. Author: 11alive.com Published: 6:24 PM EST February 11, 2022 Federal prosecutors said that in addition to paying off personal debt, Lary conducted a scheme where he asked small businesses and churches to whom he allocated grants to give 25% of the money to companies connected to himself and co-conspirators. Lary also made the defendants wife, Lania Boone, the bookkeeper charged with distributing relief funds. Boone agreed to cooperate with government agents, provide records and testify at future trials. 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. Former Mayor of Stonecrest sentenced to prison for stealing COVID-19 InJuly 2020, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted to disburse some of the relief funds to its municipalities, including a $6.2 million grant to Stonecrest. The qualification period will take place roughly a month before the election date, and it must end 25 days before the election takes place. Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. 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. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. A bookkeeper and spouse of a - DeKalb County News Now | Facebook We will continue to uncover and prosecute those who exploit government positions and COVID relief programs to fuel their own greed., 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 Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. An official website of the United States government. Former Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary pleads guilty to federal - WAGA 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. But he was using it for his own personal needs.. Sandra D. Smith has been arraigned on federal charges of wire fraud and theft of government funds. This story is breaking. Lock He has not been charged with a crime. "I did the best I could do with what we had in place.". Jones tried to get a comment from Larys attorney after court, but he refused to make a statement. 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. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]. 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). 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. Lania Boone pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program theft on February 11, 2022. Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, federal program theft, and conspiracy on January 5, 2022. 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. We are putting measures into place to prevent what we experienced during the meeting.. Now, the sheriff's office is hoping to reignite the search on this cold case. He also settled income taxes he owed going back to 2015. 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. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 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. A locked padlock 100 people involved in a total of $26 million in CARES Act fraud. "The question of compassion to this Honorable Court is what is the appropriate sentenced for the conduct of this Defendant who, when confronted 'fessed up' and avoided costly indictment and made good faith efforts to cooperate with the Government," court documents read. DeKalb County then disbursed $6.2 million of these relief funds to Stonecrest. 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. If the special election for the mayors seat requires a runoff election, it will take place June 21. Stonecrest did not disburse the $6 million allocated to the Stonecrest Cares Program and Small Business Program. 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. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia, Former U.S. . "Larys guilty plea was the first in righting the wrongs committed against the people of Stonecrest, who were wrongfully deprived of hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to provide COVID-19 relief," said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. If you have additional information, pictures, or video email newstipsatlanta@fox.com. Former Stonecrest mayor, bookkeeper plead guilty to theft of COVID Lary announced his resignation to the city on a Zoom call Tuesday. 2023 Cox Media Group. Jason Lary, who announced his resignation as the mayor of Stonecrest, pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal. 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. Instead, prosecutors said Lary used the money to cover his own tax liabilities and pay off the mortgage on his lake house. Stonecrest ex-mayor's cohort pleads guilty in 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. February 21, 2022 Chris Butler. 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. 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. 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 Council voted Monday to set the election date, determine qualifying information and formally ask ask the DeKalb County Board of Registrations and Elections to run the election. Inpractice, the Stonecrest Cares Program directed relief funds to churches and non-profit organizations in and around 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. 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. As you can tell with technology, it can be immature and ridiculous, and thats fine, Lary said. 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. 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. Lania Boone, a bookkeeper Lary hired for one of companies, admitted to helping the former mayor siphon CARES act money for personal use. 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 discussion comes after the censure of Stonecrest's mayor for comments he made during a meeting. Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, federal program theft, and conspiracy on January 5, 2022. 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. The relief funds deposited into the Visit Us and Battleground Media accounts were used by Lary to benefit himself and his associates. No stone was more important than the cornerstone because the integrity of the whole structure depended on the cornerstone containing . STONECREST MAYOR JASON LARY RESIGNS DAY BEFORE FEDERAL COURT DATE, FORMER STONECREST MAYOR ADMINS ROLE IN COVID RELIEF FRAUD SCHEME. Example video title will go here for this video, Should Be Alive Ep. He said he had surgery in late December 2020. The government said no marketing was ever done. A former suburban Atlanta mayor was sentenced to nearly five years in prison on Wednesday for masterminding a scheme to steal nearly $925,000 of the $6.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds that. Last year the Northern District of Georgia US Attorney's office prosecuted at least 100 people involved in a total of $26 million in CARES Act fraud. As mayor, he took control of who received $6.2 million in CARES Act money. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor C. Wilmot prosecuted the case. 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.. Former L.A. Councilmember Jose Huizar pleads guilty in corruption case Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges, Former Stonecrest mayor resigns and plead guilty to federal fraud charges, Stonecrest mayor appeared in federal court about misusing CARES fund. STONECREST MAYOR RESPONDS TO ACCUSATIONS OF CARES ACT FUNDS MISUSE. ATLANTA (AP) A suburban Atlanta mayor pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges a day after announcing his resignation from office. Lary, 60, pleaded guilty in January to wire fraud, federal program theft and conspiracy to commit federal program theft. The U.S. Attorney's Office alleges Mayor Jason Lary misused $6.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds. Lary, 60, pleaded. "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. 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,. Jason Lary stole more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds meant to help the. Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Former Stonecrest mayor resigns and plead guilty to federal fraud charges. Main Office:
Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than. 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. "The FBI will do everything in our power to make sure stolen funds are returned to the public, and individuals involved in this type of criminal behavior are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.". The judge says Lary's actions were "deplorable" and rejected a defense request for Lary to avoid prison time. "You don't recognize Mayor Pro Tem and council and just leave me standing there like I'm not in the meeting. Lary announced his resignation to the city on a Zoom call Tuesday.. The indictment alleges that Smith stole more than $450,000 in Social Security Administration Northern District of Georgia
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,. 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. 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. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. I will show you my hairy behind next time it happens and that's the only warning I'm going to give with this.". 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. This sentencing holds Lary accountable for abusing his position of trust and blatant disrespect for the law..