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. Small businesses that applied for financial relief were asked on an application form if theyd be willing to give 25% of the grant to one of three companies to market their business. 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. However, federal authorities said Lary worked behind the scenes with an organization known as Municipal Resource Partners Corporation, Inc. ("MRPC") to disburse the relief funds. Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, federal program theft, and conspiracy on January 5, 2022. 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. The resolution also adopted a funding plan for most of Stonecrests relief funds. 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. 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. I should've stayed out for several months, but circumstances prevailed where I needed to come back earlier," Lary said. Former Stonecrest Mayor Pleads Guilty To Federal Fraud Charges The 60-year-old Lary pleaded guilty in January to fraud and theft charges. Sandra D. Smith has been arraigned on federal charges of wire fraud and theft of government funds. Lary did not tell the businesses that he controlled these entities. 2023 Cox Media Group. Jason Lary admitted he stole more than $650,000 in CARES Act money that was supposed to help struggling businesses and church. Lary did not tell Church 1 at this time that he actually controlled REMC. Jason Lary admitted he stole more than $650,000 in CARES Act money that was supposed to help struggling businesses and church. 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. I let us down, he told the court, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 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. At least two candidates have publicly said theyll run to be the citys next mayor. A locked padlock ATLANTA - After spending nearly a year proclaiming his innocence, former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary admitted masterminding a scheme to steal COVID relief funds. An official website of the United States government. 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. 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. 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. Atlanta, GA 30303-3309. "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. Around the same time, Lary directed approximately $7,600 in stolen relief funds to be used for Boones sons college tuition and rent. In January, Jason Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal program theft and federal program theft. The phrase is quoted by Jesus, who applies it to his mission of death and glory, after having told the . Boone was the companys bookkeeper and wrote multiple checks to disburse the funds, records show. Former Mayor of Stonecrest sentenced to prison for stealing COVID-19 Stonecrest's former Senior Economic Development Manager pleads guilty A Georgia Senator said he was unsurprised to hear about the indictment. 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. 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. Lania Boone, 60, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge for her role in a scheme to steal . 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). This story is breaking. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Lary was arraigned in November 2021, accused of personally profiting from COVID-19 relief money. Former mayor asks judge if he can serve sentence from home after In January, Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal program theft and federal program theft. 2021 5 Feb. "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone" ( Psalm 118:22 ). 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 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. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]. Ronald Bell, who conspired to extort money from Georgia Institute of Technology, has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit extortion. Lary, 59, was the first mayor of Stonecrest, a DeKalb County city of about . Channel 2s Audrey Washington called and emailed Stonecrest officials about the announcement and the hack. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorneys Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. ATLANTA (AP) A suburban Atlanta mayor pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges a day after announcing his resignation from office. 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. Main Office: "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. 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. A bookkeeper was also involved in the scheme and arraigned, records show. Lary issued a statement to FOX 5 about the censure: "My frustrations have boiled over with this council. His sentencing is set for May 2. Richard B. Russell Federal Building He then asked the church to give $50,000 back to one of the companies included in the scheme. The image comes from the ancient quarries where highly-trained stonemasons carefully chose the stones used in construction. Bookkeeper admits to role helping former Stonecrest mayor steal COVID Candidates must pay a $600 qualifying fee. He then asked the church to give $50,000 back to one of the companies included in the scheme. 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,. Lary also made the defendants wife, Lania Boone, the bookkeeper charged with distributing relief funds. A lock ( Stone clemency order shows Trump wiped prison sentence, supervised That money was supposed to go to people like us. 75 Ted Turner Dr. SW Lary, 60, pleaded guilty in January to wire fraud, federal program theft and conspiracy to commit federal program theft. "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. 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. 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. 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. The city will hold a special election to select a new mayor. 100 people involved in a total of $26 million in CARES Act fraud. Suite 600 Lary previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, but his attorney, Dwight Thomas, indicated on Nov. 10 that he would take a plea deal. 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. STONECREST, Ga. Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges just hours after resigning Wednesday. Lary is free on bond. Lary faces up to 35 years in prison on all three counts. One of the grants was to his church, which he awarded $150,000. 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. 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. It's been five years since a Carroll County man mysteriously disappeared from his home. In a special-called meeting, members of the Stonecrest City Council voted 4-1 to censure Lary. Then, Lary caused the city to enter a contract with MPRC to disburse the relief funds as directed by Stonecrest. It's been five years since a Carroll County man mysteriously disappeared from his home. Like the rest of the country, the residents and businesses of Stonecrest community looked to its government for vital assistance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information on the Departments response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges | AP News The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was the only news outlet at the hearing. 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. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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. Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Former Stonecrest mayor resigns and plead guilty to federal fraud charges. Lary and others falsely claimed that the money would be each businesss contribution to Stonecrest-related marketing and advertising. 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. Main Office: The Stone that the Builders Rejected Became the Cornerstone? Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Former Stonecrest Mayor Pleads Guilty To Federal Fraud Charges The federal government permitted DeKalb County to further disburse these relief funds to its municipalities. Lary, 60, pleaded. Jason Lary, the former mayor of Stonecrest, pleaded guilty, according to a news release. Charles Johnson, Sr., has pleaded guilty for not paying $1.4 million in payroll taxes and for failure to pay employment taxes. Lary was supposed to be in office until the end of 2023. Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Former Stonecrest mayor resigns and plead guilty to federal fraud charges. In total, businesses were defrauded out of hundreds of thousands of dollars of relief funds. Lary agreed that he diverted at least $650,000 in relief money by requiring Stonecrest churches and businesses to kick back a portion of their grant money to companies he controlled. 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. 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. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Jason Lary, who announced his resignation as the mayor of Stonecrest, pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal.
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