former stonecrest mayor's accomplice pleads guilty to felony

Former advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, Roger Stone, leaves the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse after being found guilty of obstructing a congressional investigation into . The relief funds were designed to cover costs during the public health emergency. 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. STONECREST MAYOR RESPONDS TO ACCUSATIONS OF CARES ACT FUNDS MISUSE. 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. Inpractice, the Stonecrest Cares Program directed relief funds to churches and non-profit organizations in and around Stonecrest. With Lary now 60 years old and with no criminal history, his legal team requested that house arrest, community service and statutory required supervision be considered for his sentence. 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. 75 Ted Turner Dr. SW . 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. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. 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. Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, federal program theft, and conspiracy on January 5, 2022. Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, federal program theft, and conspiracy on January 5, 2022. ATLANTA (AP) A suburban Atlanta mayor pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges a day after announcing his resignation from office. Lary continued with the meeting after an IT tech fixed the problem. Lary did not disclose he controlled these companies. 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,. Channel 2s Audrey Washington called and emailed Stonecrest officials about the announcement and the hack. Sentencing is scheduled for May 12. During a struggle to implement new city manager, Lary said he was facing what could be his third battle with cancer. Lary is free on bond. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. Ronald Bell, who conspired to extort money from Georgia Institute of Technology, has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit extortion. 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.. Third, Lary and others acting on his behalf solicited relief funds from businesses that received grants under the Small Business Program. He then asked the church to give $50,000 back to one of the companies included in the scheme. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. 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. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]. 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. Yet Lary and others asked that these contributions be given not to Stonecrest, but to entities called Visit Us, Inc. and Battleground Media, LLC. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. BREAKING: 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. He then asked the church to give $50,000 back to one of the companies included in the scheme. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorneys Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. Charles Johnson, Sr., has pleaded guilty for not paying $1.4 million in payroll taxes and for failure to pay employment taxes. 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 . The relief funds deposited into the Visit Us and Battleground Media accounts were used by Lary to benefit himself and his associates. 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. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor Wilmot previously prosecuted the case. He does not have to report to prison until Dec. 15, so he can continue treatment for prostate cancer. "I ask that you measure me by the whole story," Lary said. The first is verse 22, "The stone rejected by the builders has become the corner-stone". The indictment alleges that Smith stole more than $450,000 in Social Security Administration Northern District of Georgia Credit: Photo courtesy of Boston College Athletics, Former Stonecrest mayors accomplice pleads guilty to felony, Stonecrest councilwoman among candidates running to replace disgraced mayor, Jahmyr Gibbs: Georgia Tech helped make me who I am today, Georgia Tech closes regular season with win over Boston College. . Puede participar en nuestro ensayo sobre EPOC? His resignation went into effect Wednesday. Lary, 60, pleaded. He also resigned as the citys mayor. Lary asked potential recipients to kickback 25% of their grant to other companies for "marketing" purposes. 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. 2021 5 Feb. "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone" ( Psalm 118:22 ). STONECREST, Ga. Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges just hours after resigning Wednesday. The rescue team said the man was buried up to his neck in soil. The 60-year-old Lary pleaded guilty in January to fraud and theft charges. The people of Stonecrest deserved better, and corrupt officials can expect severe consequences for using their offices to commit crimes.. Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Former Stonecrest mayor resigns and plead guilty to federal fraud charges. The. Larys last public address to his constituents delivered one last bombshell moment to his tenure. 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. We have no response about the Mayors resignation, city officials said. He faces a max sentence of 35 years in prison. Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia, Former U.S. His plea came the same morning his resignation as mayor of Stonecrest became official. Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges just hours after resigning Wednesday. Both Boone and Lary remain out of jail on bond until their sentencing hearings. As you can tell with technology, it can be immature and ridiculous, and thats fine, Lary said. In Larys guilty plea, he admitted to making sure that Boone was hired as Municipal Resource Partners bookkeeper. Lary was supposed to be in office until the end of 2023. Lary resigned a day before he pleaded guilty to concocting a fraud scheme to steal more than $650,000 in federal pandemic relief funds. Instead, prosecutors said Lary used the money to cover his own tax liabilities and pay off the mortgage on his lake house. The rescue team said the man was buried up to his neck in soil. But he was using it for his own personal needs.. 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. That money was supposed to go to people like us. Lary used three different methods to steal the funds Stonecrest disbursed to MRPC. 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. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia, Former U.S. Lary announced his resignation to the city on a Zoom call Tuesday. 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, bookkeeper plead guilty to theft of COVID relief funds 585 views Feb 11, 2022 5 Dislike Share 11Alive 856K subscribers Jason Lary, the former mayor of. Lary announced his resignation during a Zoom meeting on Tuesday. 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 sentencing is set for May 2. He declined to say what type of cancer he is battling but said it seems to be resurfacing for the third time. 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. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. "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.". A lock ( 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. Those duties include acting as the figurehead of the city and appointing members to boards and committees. 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. "He certainly, as alleged by the Grand Jury, used his position as mayor of Stonecrest to divert those funds and used his influence and connections," Erskine said. 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. 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. 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.. Lary was arraigned in November 2021, accused of personally profiting from COVID-19 relief money. 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. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. That decision will be made at a later date. 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. Official websites use .gov 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. "If you don't know protocol, you better learn it with me," said Lary. Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. In September 2020, Jason Lary, then the Mayor of Stonecrest, signed a resolution acknowledging these CARES Act requirements. One of the grants was to his church, which he awarded $150,000. Andrea V. Watson. 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. 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. Those companies were all connected to Lary. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.