Mayor Jason Lary and others in the city of Stonecrest is charged with mishandling 650,000 of CARES money meant for the citizens of Stonecrest. Instead Lary worked behind the scenes to form a private company, Municipal Resource Partners Corporation, Inc. (MRPC), recruit its CEO, open its bank accounts, and ensure that Lania Boone, his convicted co-conspirator, would be hired as MRPCs bookkeeper. 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. Lary previously denied the accusations of fraud. "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. Stonecrest could hold a special election to fill the vacant mayor's seat as early as March. 2021 5 Feb. "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone" ( Psalm 118:22 ). His resignation went into effect Wednesday. 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. ATLANTA (AP) A suburban Atlanta mayor pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges a day after announcing his resignation from office. In total, businesses were defrauded out of hundreds of thousands of dollars of relief funds. 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. Hardworking people like us, Will Morrell said. Yet Lary and others asked that these contributions be given not to Stonecrest, but to entities called Visit Us, Inc. and Battleground Media, LLC. Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, federal program theft, and conspiracy on January 5, 2022. The details of Boones plea deal are similar to the one Lary accepted. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia, Former U.S. (FOX 5). 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. The judge says Larys actions were deplorable and rejected a defense request for Lary to avoid prison time. 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). 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. "I came back too early from my second round with cancer. 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. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. For more information on the Departments response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. The city's first mayor did not mention his legal troubles in a resignation speech. The relief funds deposited into the Visit Us and Battleground Media accounts were used by Lary to benefit himself and his associates. 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. 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. 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 citys founding mayor. A Georgia Senator said he was unsurprised to hear about the indictment. Suite 600 Boone was the companys bookkeeper and wrote multiple checks to disburse the funds, records show. 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. Lock Boone agreed to cooperate with government agents, provide records and testify at future trials. Lary did not tell Church 1 at this time that he actually controlled REMC. Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. 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 judge says Lary's actions were "deplorable" and rejected a defense request for Lary to avoid prison time. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The image comes from the ancient quarries where highly-trained stonemasons carefully chose the stones used in construction. Erskine told the FOX 5 I-Team he is accused of pocketing more than $650,000. 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. He does not have to report to prison until Dec. 15, so he can continue treatment for prostate cancer. ATLANTA - Jason Lary, the former mayor of Stonecrest, and Lania Boone, a bookkeeper for the entity that administered COVID-19 relief funds awarded to Stonecrest, have pleaded guilty to. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. 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. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga. The U.S. Attorney's Office alleges Mayor Jason Lary misused $6.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. The rescue team said the man was buried up to his neck in soil. 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. Inpractice, the Stonecrest Cares Program directed relief funds to churches and non-profit organizations in and around Stonecrest. The resolution also adopted a funding plan for most of Stonecrests relief funds. The city of Stonecrest could hold a special election as early as March to decide Larys replacement. 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 former Mayor of Stonecrest Jason Lary pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing COVID-19 relief funds that were supposed to go to struggling businesses. Jason Lary admitted he stole more than $650,000 in CARES Act money that was supposed to help struggling businesses and church. Jason Lary, whose resignation. The qualification period will take place roughly a month before the election date, and it must end 25 days before the election takes place. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorneys Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. Jason Lary, the former mayor of Stonecrest, pleaded guilty, according to a news release. Richard B. Russell Federal Building In September 2020, Jason Lary, the former Mayor of Stonecrest, allocated $5 million of the relief funds to a Small Business Program which would disburse relief funds based on applications submitted by local businesses. For example, Lary used relief funds held by Visit Us to pay for an associates political advertising. 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. Boone is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Around the same time, Lary directed approximately $7,600 in stolen relief funds to be used for Boones sons college tuition and rent. Lary, 60, pleaded. 2022-02-12 - By Zachary Hansen zachary.hansen@ajc.com. The first is verse 22, "The stone rejected by the builders has become the corner-stone". . 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. STONECREST MAYOR RESPONDS TO ACCUSATIONS OF CARES ACT FUNDS MISUSE. Lary placed the defendant, Clarence Boone, who was then Senior Economic Development Manager for Stonecrest, in charge of overseeing the Small Business Program. But he was using it for his own personal needs.. 2023 FOX Television Stations. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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 . Lary announced his resignation to the city on a Zoom call . His sentencing hearing has been set for May 2. DEKALB COUNTY, GA The former mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy, reported WAGA-TV. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga. The first mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to the federal charges earlier this year. 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. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]. 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. Channel 2s Audrey Washington called and emailed Stonecrest officials about the announcement and the hack. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

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