former stonecrest mayor's accomplice pleads guilty to felony

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. A Georgia Senator said he was unsurprised to hear about the indictment. The discussion comes after the censure of Stonecrest's mayor for comments he made during a meeting. 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. Ronald Bell, who conspired to extort money from Georgia Institute of Technology, has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit extortion. I should've stayed out for several months, but circumstances prevailed where I needed to come back earlier," Lary said. The government said no marketing was ever done. Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges just hours after resigning Wednesday. Lary is expected to be sentenced on July 13 at 10 a.m. Lock 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. None the less, I will continue to serve the people of the great city of Stonecrest.". A locked padlock "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. A bookkeeper and spouse of a - DeKalb County News Now | Facebook They are purposely seeking to tear down everything I have worked to build in Stonecrest. In January, Jason Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal program theft and federal program theft. A lock ( Andrea V. Watson. Both Boone and Lary remain out of jail on bond until their sentencing hearings. 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. 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 placed the defendant, Clarence Boone, who was then Senior Economic Development Manager for Stonecrest, in charge of overseeing the Small Business Program. BREAKING: A bookkeeper - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Facebook Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges - CBS 46 Lary, 59, was the first mayor of Stonecrest, a DeKalb County city of about . At least two candidates have publicly said theyll run to be the citys next mayor. In or about November 2020, Stonecrest published an application on its website for businesses to apply for relief funds under the Small Business Program. The judge says Larys actions were deplorable and rejected a defense request for Lary to avoid prison time. DEKALB COUNTY, GA The former mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy, reported WAGA-TV. Instead, prosecutors said Lary used the money to cover his own tax liabilities and pay off the mortgage on his lake house. 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. . 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. Lary did not disclose he controlled these companies. 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. FORMER MAYOR ADMITS ROLE IN COVID RELIEF FRAUD SCHEME. Roger Stone prosecutors quit after furor over Trump ally's sentence - CNBC Former Stonecrest Mayor Pleads Guilty To Federal Fraud Charges Former Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary pleads guilty to federal - WAGA Jason Lary admitted he stole more than $650,000 in CARES Act money that was supposed to help struggling businesses and church. The federal government permitted DeKalb County to further disburse these relief funds to its municipalities. The last day Stonecrest residents can register to vote in time for the special election is April 25. All rights reserved. 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 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. 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. Stonecrest did not disburse the $6 million allocated to the Stonecrest Cares Program and Small Business Program. That decision will be made at a later date. Lary did not tell the businesses that he controlled these entities. Then, Lary caused the city to enter a contract with MPRC to disburse the relief funds as directed by Stonecrest. 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. Lary asked potential recipients to kickback 25% of their grant to other companies for "marketing" purposes. Stonecrest Mayor Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Charges If you have additional information, pictures, or video email newstipsatlanta@fox.com. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. An official website of the United States government. The U.S. Attorney's Office alleges Mayor Jason Lary misused $6.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds. 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. The indictment alleges that Smith stole more than $450,000 in Social Security Administration Northern District of Georgia Author: 11alive.com Published: 6:24 PM EST February 11, 2022 DEKALB COUNTY, GA The former mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy, reported WAGA-TV. He declined to say what type of cancer he is battling but said it seems to be resurfacing for the third time. 2021 5 Feb. "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone" ( Psalm 118:22 ). Stonecrest Mayor Pleads Guilty to Stealing Georgia COVID-19 Relief Check back for details. Have a question about Government Services? This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Lary, who faces up to 35 years in prison, will be sentenced on May 2. Jason Lary stole more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds meant to help the. Have a question about Government Services? The 60-year-old Lary pleaded guilty in January to fraud and theft charges. 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. His sentencing is set for May 2. Deana Timberlake-Wiley, Boones attorney, and federal prosecutors declined to comment. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives. ATLANTA - After spending nearly a year proclaiming his innocence, former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary admitted masterminding a scheme to steal COVID relief funds. 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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. The judge says Lary's actions were "deplorable" and rejected a defense request for Lary to avoid prison time. 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.