Erskine told the FOX 5 I-Team he is accused of pocketing more than $650,000. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. In Larys guilty plea, he admitted to making sure that Boone was hired as Municipal Resource Partners bookkeeper. The judge says Larys actions were deplorable and rejected a defense request for Lary to avoid prison time. 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). None the less, I will continue to serve the people of the great city of Stonecrest.". 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 . Boone was the companys bookkeeper and wrote multiple checks to disburse the funds, records show. 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. 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. Federal authorities brought the mayor of Stonecrest to court alleging he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 relief granted to the city. The resolution also adopted a funding plan for most of Stonecrests relief funds. Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges - CBS 46 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. 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. Now, the sheriff's office is hoping to reignite the search on this cold case. Stonecrest ex-mayor's cohort pleads guilty in fraud scheme Lary won the mayors race twice, the citys only mayor in its brief history. I will show you my hairy behind next time it happens and that's the only warning I'm going to give with this.". The indictment alleges that Smith stole more than $450,000 in Social Security Administration Northern District of Georgia He also resigned as the citys mayor. Around October 2021, the United States seized approximately $480,000 of fraud proceeds held in the bank accounts of Visit Us and Battleground Media. 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.. Former mayor of Stonecrest pleads guilty to federal charges Lock 75 Ted Turner Dr. SW Residents will soon get a chance to elect a new mayor in Stonecrest. No stone was more important than the cornerstone because the integrity of the whole structure depended on the cornerstone containing . Deana Timberlake-Wiley, Boones attorney, and federal prosecutors declined to comment. "I ask that you measure me by the whole story," Lary said. A bookkeeper and spouse of a - DeKalb County News Now | Facebook This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. 2021 5 Feb. "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone" ( Psalm 118:22 ). 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. Prosecutors said the 59-year-old former mayor concocted a scheme to divert funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Both Boone and Lary remain out of jail on bond until their sentencing hearings. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was the only news outlet at the hearing. Lary announced his resignation during a Zoom meeting on Tuesday. "Boones guilty plea further demonstrates our commitment to prosecuting those who seek to exploit COVID relief programs for their own gain. Hardworking people like us, Will Morrell said. 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. In return, prosecutors recommended a lighter sentence of 366 days in confinement half in prison and half as home arrest. Boone, who wrote the bulk of the checks using the stolen funds, agreed with that Friday in court. STONECREST, Ga. Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges just hours after resigning Wednesday. 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. "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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford, Chief of Public Integrity and Civil Rights, is prosecuting the case. A locked padlock . 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. In January, Jason Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal program theft and federal program theft. 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 . Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. 2: Person of Interest. A lock ( 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. "There was never an interest on anybodys part to kick back or filter money back or any of that nonsense.". 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,. She is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15, 2022. 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,. Jason Lary, who announced his resignation as the mayor of Stonecrest, pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal. STONECREST MAYOR RESPONDS TO ACCUSATIONS OF CARES ACT FUNDS MISUSE. Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorneys Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. 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. 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. This sentencing holds Lary accountable for abusing his position of trust and blatant disrespect for the law.. 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. Lary, 60, pleaded. Instead, $108,000 dollars were transferred to pay off the mortgage on a lakefront propertyowned by the former mayor. Lary did not disclose he controlled these companies. Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges STONECREST, Ga. - A bookkeeper hired by former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary has pleaded guilty to conspiracy for her part in a scheme to steal COVID relief funds. 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 image comes from the ancient quarries where highly-trained stonemasons carefully chose the stones used in construction. The first is verse 22, "The stone rejected by the builders has become the corner-stone". Third, Lary and others acting on his behalf solicited relief funds from businesses that received grants under the Small Business Program. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Lary was also ordered to pay $120,000 in restitution as well. Stonecrest Mayor Pleads 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. The three conspired to steal and misappropriate relief funds intended for struggling businesses in Stonecrest. The discussion comes after the censure of Stonecrest's mayor for comments he made during a meeting. Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges | AP News Boone agreed to cooperate with government agents, provide records and testify at future trials. 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. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Official websites use .gov The federal government permitted DeKalb County to further disburse these relief funds to its municipalities. Boone is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12. Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, federal program theft, and conspiracy on January 5, 2022. The. His legal team is citing his health and lack of criminal record should merit a lighter sentence. 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. A bookkeeper was also involved in the scheme and arraigned, records show. It's been five years since a Carroll County man mysteriously disappeared from his home. An official website of the United States government. Lary continued with the meeting after an IT tech fixed the problem. In or about November 2020, Stonecrest published an application on its website for businesses to apply for relief funds under the Small Business Program. As another example, Lary presented a check from MRPC for $50,000 to Church 2. Later, a person acting on Larys behalf told Church 2 to contribute $4,500 of the relief funds to REMC, purportedly for rent assistance. 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.
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