Stonecrest was required to spend the relief funds in accordance with the CARES Act. The last day Stonecrest residents can register to vote in time for the special election is April 25. The phrase is quoted by Jesus, who applies it to his mission of death and glory, after having told the . I let us down, he told the court, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He resigned his post on Jan. 4 and accepted a plea deal the next day for concocting the scheme. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. 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. 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. Lock Lary did not tell Church 1 at this time that he actually controlled REMC. All rights reserved. Channel 2s Audrey Washington called and emailed Stonecrest officials about the announcement and the hack. 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. The plan also provided $5 million to the COVID-19 CARES Act Small Business Program (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. First, Lary conspired with Boone to steal relief funds before they were disbursed by MRPC. Former Stonecrest mayor, bookkeeper plead guilty to theft of COVID 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. 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. Boone was the companys bookkeeper and wrote multiple checks to disburse the funds, records show. He also settled income taxes he owed going back to 2015. Lania Boone, 60, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge for her role in a scheme to steal federal pandemic relief funds. Stonecrest Mayor Pleads Guilty to Stealing Georgia COVID-19 Relief Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. Andrea V. Watson. Lary announced his resignation during a Zoom meeting on Tuesday. The censure stemmed from remarks Mayor Lary made at the end of a council meeting on Sept. 27. Former Stonecrest mayor, bookkeeper plead guilty to theft of - MSN 75 Ted Turner Dr. SW BREAKING: A bookkeeper - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Facebook He also resigned as the citys 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 citys founding mayor. Official websites use .gov His resignation went into effect Wednesday. Lary, 60, pleaded. STONECREST, Ga. Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges just hours after resigning Wednesday. A judge will have the final say on her sentencing; her conspiracy charge carries a maximum of five years behind bars. 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. We have no response about the Mayors resignation, city officials 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. Ronald Bell, who conspired to extort money from Georgia Institute of Technology, has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit extortion. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga. 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. He has not been charged with a crime. In January, Jason Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal program theft and federal program theft. Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges "What the mayor said was unacceptable and does not represent city council," said Mayor Pro Tem George Turner. Charles Johnson, Sr., has pleaded guilty for not paying $1.4 million in payroll taxes and for failure to pay employment taxes. 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. Former Stonecrest Mayor Pleads Guilty To Federal Fraud Charges "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. Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. This man's imprisonment shows why California's 'special circumstances Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor C. Wilmot prosecuted the case. In court on Wednesday, Lary apologized to his family, friends and Stonecrest residents. During a struggle to implement new city manager, Lary said he was facing what could be his third battle with cancer. (FOX 5). 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.. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Roger Stone prosecutors quit after furor over Trump ally's sentence - CNBC 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. That money was supposed to go to people like us. The population is now 60,000 with a budget of more than $13 million. Richard B. Russell Federal Building 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. His legal team is citing his health and lack of criminal record should merit a lighter sentence. "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 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. 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. Library : Stone Rejected Has Become Cornerstone, The Suite 600 Stonecrest mayor charged in alleged misuse of CARES Act federal funds Lary previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, but his attorney, Dwight Thomas, indicated on Nov. 10 that he would. 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. One of the grants was to his church, which he awarded $150,000. Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Atlanta, GA 30303-3309. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Lary resigned a day before he pleaded guilty to concocting a fraud scheme to steal more than $650,000 in federal pandemic relief funds. Until a new mayor is elected, the mayors responsibilities will be handled by the mayor pro tem. "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. This story is breaking. Lania Boone, 60, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge for her role in a scheme to steal . For more information on the Departments response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. The three conspired to steal and misappropriate relief funds intended for struggling businesses in Stonecrest. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS 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. His resignation went into effect Wednesday. Prosecutors said the 59-year-old former mayor concocted a scheme to divert funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The discussion comes after the censure of Stonecrest's mayor for comments he made during a meeting. The. 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. The people of Stonecrest deserved better, and corrupt officials can expect severe consequences for using their offices to commit crimes.. his resignation as mayor of Stonecrest became official. Lary is free on bond. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. He does not have to report to prison until Dec. 15, so he can continue treatment for prostate cancer. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]. His sentencing hearing has been set for May 2. The indictment alleges that Smith stole more than $450,000 in Social Security Administration Northern District of Georgia Now, the sheriff's office is hoping to reignite the search on this cold case.
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