Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary on Wednesday pleaded guilty to wire fraud, federal program theft and conspiracy to commit federal program theft, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The phrase is quoted by Jesus, who applies it to his mission of death and glory, after having told the . 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. Hopefully, he gets all of that, Morrell said. It's been five years since a Carroll County man mysteriously disappeared from his home. 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.. His resignation went into effect Wednesday. Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Former Stonecrest mayor resigns and plead guilty to federal fraud charges. 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. Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Have a question about Government Services? The city will hold a special election to select a new mayor. DEKALB COUNTY, GA The former mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy, reported WAGA-TV. . Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than. He also settled income taxes he owed going back to 2015. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $119,607.69. Suite 600 The Internet address for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga. She is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15, 2022. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. The indictment alleges that Smith stole more than $450,000 in Social Security Administration Northern District of Georgia 2021 5 Feb. "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone" ( Psalm 118:22 ). His legal team is citing his health and lack of criminal record should merit a lighter sentence. 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. He then asked the church to give $50,000 back to one of the companies included in the scheme. No stone was more important than the cornerstone because the integrity of the whole structure depended on the cornerstone containing . The image comes from the ancient quarries where highly-trained stonemasons carefully chose the stones used in construction. 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. 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. 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. For more information on the Departments response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. In total, businesses were defrauded out of hundreds of thousands of dollars of relief funds. 75 Ted Turner Dr. SW I will show you my hairy behind next time it happens and that's the only warning I'm going to give with this.". Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. "Boones guilty plea further demonstrates our commitment to prosecuting those who seek to exploit COVID relief programs for their own gain. He's accused of federal fraud related to COVID-19 relief funds. "There was never an interest on anybodys part to kick back or filter money back or any of that nonsense.". City leaders have not chosen a specific location for the special election to be held. Lary used three different methods to steal the funds Stonecrest disbursed to MRPC. DEKALB COUNTY, GA The former mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy, reported WAGA-TV. "It's time for me to retire from politics and focus on my health," Lary said. A bookkeeper was also involved in the scheme and arraigned, records show. 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. An official website of the United States government. Jason Lary admitted he stole more than $650,000 in CARES Act money that was supposed to help struggling businesses and church. Lania Boone, a bookkeeper Lary hired for one of companies, admitted to helping the former mayor siphon CARES act money for personal use. Lary previously denied the accusations of fraud. 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. 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. 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. "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. Prosecutors said the 59-year-old former mayor concocted a scheme to divert funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. "Quite frankly folks, now its turned ugly," he said during a news conference in April 2021. Main Office: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was the only news outlet at the hearing. Lary wont be required to report to prison until after Dec. 15, giving him time for more cancer treatments. The potential stakes are high for offenders who break new guidelines. 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The application included the question, are you willing to allocate 25% of your grant to marketing your business? Hundreds of businesses applied for relief funds, but most of the applicants were rejected. For example, Lary used relief funds held by Visit Us to pay for an associates political advertising. A Georgia Senator said he was unsurprised to hear about the indictment. "If you don't know protocol, you better learn it with me," said Lary. Jason Lary, the former mayor of Stonecrest, pleaded guilty, according to a news release. 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. "What the mayor said was unacceptable and does not represent city council," said Mayor Pro Tem George Turner. 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. "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. 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. Stonecrest did not disburse the $6 million allocated to the Stonecrest Cares Program and Small Business Program. Per federal rules, Stonecrest officials could only spend these relief funds on necessary expenditures related to . 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. The relief funds deposited into the Visit Us and Battleground Media accounts were used by Lary to benefit himself and his associates. Boones case matches the legal process used by Jason Lary, the founding mayor of Stonecrest. 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. 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.. I let us down, he told the court, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 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. DEKALB COUNTY, GA The former mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy, reported WAGA-TV. In or about November 2020, Stonecrest published an application on its website for businesses to apply for relief funds under the Small Business Program. 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. 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. 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. 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. For more information on the Departments response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Lary is free on bond. Lary did not tell Church 1 at this time that he actually controlled REMC.

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