former stonecrest mayor's accomplice pleads guilty to felony

Those companies were all connected to Lary. Former Stonecrest mayor, bookkeeper plead guilty to theft of COVID Jason Lary stole more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds meant to help the. 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 indictment alleges that Smith stole more than $450,000 in Social Security Administration Northern District of Georgia 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. Lary announced his resignation during a Zoom meeting on Tuesday. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. "What the mayor said was unacceptable and does not represent city council," said Mayor Pro Tem George Turner. A bookkeeper and spouse of a - DeKalb County News Now | Facebook Now, the sheriff's office is hoping to reignite the search on this cold case. 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. 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. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. The former mayor of Stonecrest who pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges is making a punishment request. Attorneys for the Northern District of Georgia, Former Mayor of Stonecrest sentenced to prison for stealing 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, Former Mayor of Stonecrest Sentenced To Prison For Stealing COVID 19 Relief Funds. Lary, 60, pleaded. A former health care executive, Lary was instrumental in convincing the General Assembly to create the city of Stonecrest along I-20 in south DeKalb County. Lary placed the defendant, Clarence Boone, who was then Senior Economic Development Manager for Stonecrest, in charge of overseeing the Small Business Program. 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, U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan said. The rescue team said the man was buried up to his neck in soil. Until a new mayor is elected, the mayors responsibilities will be handled by the mayor pro tem. 2: Person of Interest. The relief funds deposited into the Visit Us and Battleground Media accounts were used by Lary to benefit himself and his associates. 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. Lary issued a statement to FOX 5 about the censure: "My frustrations have boiled over with this council. Since Larys term was set to expire at the end of 2023, the city charter requires a special election to fill his post. 75 Ted Turner Dr. SW Lary resigned a day before he pleaded guilty to. 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. He's accused of federal fraud related to COVID-19 relief funds. SB 300, also called the Sentencing Reform Act, would rewrite part of Proposition 115, a 1990 ballot initiative that expanded the definition of first-degree murder to include murder committed . 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. 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. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges just hours after resigning Wednesday. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. All rights reserved. ATLANTA - Clarence Boone, the former Senior Economic Development Manager of Stonecrest, pleaded guilty to conspiring with his wife, Lania Boone, and the former Mayor of Stonecrest, Jason Lary, to steal pandemic relief funds intended to support small businesses in Stonecrest. That decision will be made at a later date. The city of Stonecrest could hold a special election as early as March to decide Larys replacement. For example, Lary used relief funds held by Visit Us to pay for an associates political advertising. 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. The 60-year-old Lary pleaded guilty in January to fraud and theft charges. STONECREST MAYOR JASON LARY RESIGNS DAY BEFORE FEDERAL COURT DATE, FORMER STONECREST MAYOR ADMINS ROLE IN COVID RELIEF FRAUD SCHEME. In return, prosecutors recommended a lighter sentence of 366 days in confinement half in prison and half as home arrest. Charles Johnson, Sr., has pleaded guilty for not paying $1.4 million in payroll taxes and for failure to pay employment taxes. I should've stayed out for several months, but circumstances prevailed where I needed to come back earlier," Lary said. She is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15, 2022. 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. 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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. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The plan also provided $5 million to the COVID-19 CARES Act Small Business Program (Small Business Program). While I was out on cancer leave, they removed me from every committee I created, refused to pay my car allowance, while paying six figures to the finance director and $209,000 annually to the acting city manager (including a car allowance). Jason Lary, whose resignation. Lary did not tell the businesses that he controlled these entities. He also resigned as the citys mayor. Clarence Boone, 60, of Decatur, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program theft and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 13, 2023. 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. I will show you my hairy behind next time it happens and that's the only warning I'm going to give with this.". Candidates must pay a $600 qualifying fee. Ignoring input from the official selection committee, from about November 2020, until about February 2021, Boone signed dozens of checks on behalf of MRPC, directing relief funds to individuals, businesses, churches, and non-profit organizations of Larys own choosing. The about-face came in. Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Lary asked potential recipients to kickback 25% of their grant to other companies for "marketing" purposes. His sentencing is set for May 2. DeKalb County then disbursed $6.2 million of these relief funds to Stonecrest. His plea came the same morning his resignation as mayor of Stonecrest became official. The censure stemmed from remarks Mayor Lary made at the end of a council meeting on Sept. 27. 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. 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. Lania Boone, a bookkeeper Lary hired for one of companies, admitted to helping the former mayor siphon CARES act money for personal use. Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Former Stonecrest mayor resigns and plead guilty to federal fraud charges. 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. 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. Wilmot said Lary used some of that stolen money to pay off the $108,147 mortgage on his lakefront home in Macon. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts.

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