former stonecrest mayor's accomplice pleads guilty to felony

Lary was supposed to be in office until the end of 2023. The first mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to the federal charges earlier this year. "Instead of providing aid to Stonecrests deserving citizens, Lary allegedly diverted funds for his own use, including to pay off his taxes and the mortgage on his lakefront home.". Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. "I came back too early from my second round with cancer. The. Erskine told the FOX 5 I-Team he is accused of pocketing more than $650,000. Lary asked potential recipients to kickback 25% of their grant to other companies for "marketing" purposes. STONECREST MAYOR RESPONDS TO ACCUSATIONS OF CARES ACT FUNDS MISUSE. 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. The Justice Department on Monday released President Trump's clemency order for longtime GOP operative Roger Stone showing the president not only wiped away Stone's prison sentence but also a . Sandra D. Smith has been arraigned on federal charges of wire fraud and theft of government funds. And while Lary falsely stated that the $50,000 would be used to assist with home repairs for people who could not afford them due to COVID-19, in reality he used the money for his own purposes, including to pay off his outstanding federal, state, and local tax liabilities. A judge will have the final say on her sentencing; her conspiracy charge carries a maximum of five years behind bars. 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. The judge says Lary's actions were "deplorable" and rejected a defense request for Lary to avoid prison time. All rights reserved. Since Larys term was set to expire at the end of 2023, the city charter requires a special election to fill his post. 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. 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. 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. A Georgia Senator said he was unsurprised to hear about the indictment. Lary, 60, pleaded. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford, Chief of Public Integrity and Civil Rights, is prosecuting the case. Lania Boone, a bookkeeper Lary hired for one of companies, admitted to helping the former mayor siphon CARES act money for personal use. Lary continued with the meeting after an IT tech fixed the problem. 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. Around the same time, Lary directed approximately $7,600 in stolen relief funds to be used for Boones sons college tuition and rent. 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. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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. Jason Lary, the former mayor of Stonecrest, pleaded guilty, according to a news release. The first is verse 22, "The stone rejected by the builders has become the corner-stone". "There was never an interest on anybodys part to kick back or filter money back or any of that nonsense.". 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. In court on Wednesday, Lary apologized to his family, friends and Stonecrest residents. He explained he needs to take some time to work with doctors and care for himself. Jones tried to get a comment from Larys attorney after court, but he refused to make a statement. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga. 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. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Then, Lary caused the city to enter a contract with MPRC to disburse the relief funds as directed by Stonecrest. 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. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorneys Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. In a special-called meeting, members of the Stonecrest City Council voted 4-1 to censure Lary. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Deana Timberlake-Wiley, Boones attorney, and federal prosecutors declined to comment. Lary did not tell Church 1 at this time that he actually controlled REMC. 2023 FOX Television Stations. 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 founding. The censure stemmed from remarks Mayor Lary made at the end of a council meeting on Sept. 27. Lary used three different methods to steal the funds Stonecrest disbursed to MRPC. The relief funds deposited into the Visit Us and Battleground Media accounts were used by Lary to benefit himself and his associates. Have a question about Government Services? 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Those duties include acting as the figurehead of the city and appointing members to boards and committees. Lary previously denied the accusations of fraud. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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. He also resigned as the citys mayor. 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. 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. Lary and others falsely claimed that the money would be each businesss contribution to Stonecrest-related marketing and advertising. Jason Lary admitted he stole more than $650,000 in CARES Act money that was supposed to help struggling businesses and church. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor C. Wilmot prosecuted the case. Suite 600 Main Office: A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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. Third, Lary and others acting on his behalf solicited relief funds from businesses that received grants under the Small Business Program. A lock ( 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. 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. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor Wilmot previously prosecuted the case. In another case, Lary allegedly gave a church $50,000. 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. 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. Larys last public address to his constituents delivered one last bombshell moment to his tenure. Boones case matches the legal process used by Jason Lary, the founding mayor of Stonecrest. No stone was more important than the cornerstone because the integrity of the whole structure depended on the cornerstone containing . ATLANTA (AP) A suburban Atlanta mayor pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges a day after announcing his resignation from office. Lary announced his resignation to the city on a Zoom call . 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.. 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. Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. 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. Boone agreed to cooperate with government agents, provide records and testify at future trials. 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"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. Both Boone and Lary remain out of jail on bond until their sentencing hearings. Instead, prosecutors said Lary used the money to cover his own tax liabilities and pay off the mortgage on his lake house. In Larys guilty plea, he admitted to making sure that Boone was hired as Municipal Resource Partners bookkeeper. Yet Lary and others asked that these contributions be given not to Stonecrest, but to entities called Visit Us, Inc. and Battleground Media, LLC. Credit: Photo courtesy of Boston College Athletics, Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges, Stonecrest passes on March election date to replace mayor after guilty fraud plea, Jahmyr Gibbs: Georgia Tech helped make me who I am today, Georgia Tech closes regular season with win over Boston College. City leaders have not chosen a specific location for the special election to be held. The last day Stonecrest residents can register to vote in time for the special election is April 25. (FOX 5). The 60-year-old Lary pleaded guilty in January to fraud and theft charges. 2021 5 Feb. "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone" ( Psalm 118:22 ). Now, the sheriff's office is hoping to reignite the search on this cold case. "I did the best I could do with what we had in place.". 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. This story is breaking. Lary issued a statement to FOX 5 about the censure: "My frustrations have boiled over with this council. "If you don't know protocol, you better learn it with me," said Lary. 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. Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Former Stonecrest mayor resigns and plead guilty to federal fraud charges. . 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 founding 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. 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. 5, 2022. He faces a max sentence of 35 years in prison. Richard B. Russell Federal Building Now, the sheriff's office is hoping to reignite the search on this cold case. An official website of the United States government. 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. He's accused of federal fraud related to COVID-19 relief funds. None the less, I will continue to serve the people of the great city of Stonecrest.". The city's first mayor did not mention his legal troubles in a resignation speech. 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. Official websites use .gov Author: 11alive.com Published: 6:24 PM EST February 11, 2022 Cobbles term is set to expire in 2026, so another special election will be necessary. He then asked the church to give $50,000 back to one of the companies included in the scheme.

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