"There was never an interest on anybodys part to kick back or filter money back or any of that nonsense.". Roger Stone prosecutors quit after furor over Trump ally's sentence - CNBC At least two candidates have publicly said theyll run to be the citys next mayor. A Georgia Senator said he was unsurprised to hear about the indictment. Have a question about Government Services? 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. 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. 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. 75 Ted Turner Dr. SW Per federal rules, Stonecrest officials could only spend these relief funds on necessary expenditures related to . I should've stayed out for several months, but circumstances prevailed where I needed to come back earlier," Lary said. District 3 Councilwoman Jazzmin Cobble announced last week she will resign her post once she qualifies to run for mayor, and former District 5 councilwoman Diane Adoma told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution she will run as well. The Stone that the Builders Rejected Became the Cornerstone? The potential stakes are high for offenders who break new guidelines. Have a question about Government Services? For more information on the Departments response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Stonecrest's former Senior Economic Development Manager pleads guilty In court on Wednesday, Lary apologized to his family, friends and Stonecrest residents. Stonecrest residents that Jones talked to were outraged. Stonecrest was required to spend the relief funds in accordance with the CARES Act. The mayor only votes in the event of a tie a rarity for a five-member City Council. Lary won the mayors race twice, the citys only mayor in its brief history. Lary announced his resignation during a Zoom meeting on Tuesday. A lock ( The image comes from the ancient quarries where highly-trained stonemasons carefully chose the stones used in construction. We have no response about the Mayors resignation, city officials said. Former Stonecrest mayor sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison for His plea came the same morning his resignation as mayor of Stonecrest became official. Now, the sheriff's office is hoping to reignite the search on this cold case. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. 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. The. 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. 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. 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. The city of Stonecrest could hold a special election as early as March to decide Larys replacement. 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. 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. "If you don't know protocol, you better learn it with me," said Lary. Stonecrest ex-mayor's cohort pleads guilty in fraud scheme 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. In January, Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal program theft and federal program theft. In September 2020, Jason Lary, then the Mayor of Stonecrest, signed a resolution acknowledging these CARES Act requirements. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga. During a struggle to implement new city manager, Lary said he was facing what could be his third battle with cancer. Stone clemency order shows Trump wiped prison sentence, supervised Richard B. Russell Federal Building 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. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Wilmot said Lary used some of that stolen money to pay off the $108,147 mortgage on his lakefront home in Macon. A bookkeeper and spouse of a - DeKalb County News Now | Facebook "Instead of providing aid to Stonecrests deserving citizens, Lary allegedly diverted funds for his own use, including to pay off his taxes and the mortgage on his lakefront home.". His resignation went into effect Wednesday. Atlanta, GA 30303-3309. A bookkeeper was also involved in the scheme and arraigned, records show. Jason Lary, who announced his resignation as the mayor of Stonecrest, pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal. The 60-year-old Lary pleaded guilty in January to fraud and theft charges. Former mayor asks judge if he can serve sentence from home after 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. Puede participar en nuestro ensayo sobre EPOC? He faces a max sentence of 35 years in prison. Lary wont be required to report to prison until after Dec. 15, giving him time for more cancer treatments. "Quite frankly folks, now its turned ugly," he said during a news conference in April 2021. Stonecrest mayor charged in alleged misuse of CARES Act federal funds Lary previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, but his attorney, Dwight Thomas, indicated on Nov. 10 that he would. Sandra D. Smith has been arraigned on federal charges of wire fraud and theft of government funds. Former Stonecrest mayor sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison for They are purposely seeking to tear down everything I have worked to build in Stonecrest. "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.". He then asked the church to give $50,000 back to one of the companies included in the scheme. Lary and Boone knew the purpose of the transfer was to pay off the mortgage on a lakefront home owned by Lary. Lania Boone pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program theft on February 11, 2022. 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 . 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). Lania Boone, 60, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge for her role in a scheme to steal . Sentencing is scheduled for May 12. Larys last public address to his constituents delivered one last bombshell moment to his tenure. Jason Lary admitted he stole more than $650,000 in CARES Act money that was supposed to help struggling businesses and church. Former Stonecrest mayor, bookkeeper plead guilty to theft of COVID The population is now 60,000 with a budget of more than $13 million. Lary is accused of stealing more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds meant to help the people of Stonecrest who he was supposed to serve. One of the grants was to his church, which he awarded $150,000. He resigned his post on Jan. 4 and accepted a plea deal the next day for concocting the scheme. Hardworking people like us, Will Morrell said. Official websites use .gov Prosecutors said the 59-year-old former mayor concocted a scheme to divert funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. 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. Jason Lary admitted he stole more than $650,000 in CARES Act money that was supposed to help struggling businesses and church. Official websites use .gov The phrase is quoted by Jesus, who applies it to his mission of death and glory, after having told the . The city will hold a special election to select a new mayor. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga. Main Office: The city will hold a special election on May 24 to fill the rest of the mayor's term after the office was vacated by Jason Lary in January. Stonecrest Mayor Pleads Guilty to Stealing Georgia COVID-19 Relief She also agreed to pay restitution. STONECREST, Ga. Editor's note: The video above is from a previous story. As mayor, he took control of who received $6.2 million in CARES Act money. 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. An official website of the United States government. 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. "What the mayor said was unacceptable and does not represent city council," said Mayor Pro Tem George Turner. In January, Jason Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal program theft and federal program theft. Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges | AP News This story is breaking. 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. 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. "It's time for me to retire from politics and focus on my health," Lary said. Inpractice, the Stonecrest Cares Program directed relief funds to churches and non-profit organizations in and around Stonecrest. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. 2: Person of Interest. Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges, Former Stonecrest mayor resigns and plead guilty to federal fraud charges, 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), more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds, 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. 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. 2023 Cox Media Group. Lania Boone, a bookkeeper Lary hired for one of companies, admitted to helping the former mayor siphon CARES act money for personal use. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives. She is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15, 2022. ATLANTA (AP) A suburban Atlanta mayor pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges a day after announcing his resignation from office.
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