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. Residents will soon get a chance to elect a new mayor in Stonecrest. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The city's first mayor did not mention his legal troubles in a resignation speech. 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. The government said no marketing was ever done. Lania Boone, Larys co-conspirator, pleaded guilty to conspiracy on February 11, 2022. Lary, 60, pleaded. In another case, Lary allegedly gave a church $50,000. Credit: Photo courtesy of Boston College Athletics, Former Stonecrest mayors accomplice pleads guilty to felony, Stonecrest councilwoman among candidates running to replace disgraced mayor, Jahmyr Gibbs: Georgia Tech helped make me who I am today, Georgia Tech closes regular season with win over Boston College. Lary is free on bond. Lary, who faces up to 35 years in prison, will be sentenced on May 2. If the special election for the mayors seat requires a runoff election, it will take place June 21. 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. "What the mayor said was unacceptable and does not represent city council," said Mayor Pro Tem George Turner. Instead, $108,000 dollars were transferred to pay off the mortgage on a lakefront propertyowned by the former mayor. Around the same time, Lary directed approximately $7,600 in stolen relief funds to be used for Boones sons college tuition and rent. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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,. 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. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 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). Lary resigned a day before he pleaded guilty to. His resignation went into effect Wednesday. 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.. The mayor only votes in the event of a tie a rarity for a five-member City Council. The first mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to the federal charges earlier this year. Until a new mayor is elected, the mayors responsibilities will be handled by the mayor pro tem. The former mayor of Stonecrest and a bookkeeper who administered COVID-19 relief funds to the town pleaded guilty in federal court this month to charges related to the theft of pandemic relief funds. 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. The U.S. Attorney's Office alleges Mayor Jason Lary misused $6.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds. In a special-called meeting, members of the Stonecrest City Council voted 4-1 to censure Lary. 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 and others falsely claimed that the money would be each businesss contribution to Stonecrest-related marketing and advertising. 100 people involved in a total of $26 million in CARES Act fraud. Lary asked potential recipients to kickback 25% of their grant to other companies for "marketing" purposes. 2021 5 Feb. "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone" ( Psalm 118:22 ). 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. Lary was also ordered to pay $120,000 in restitution as well. The people of Stonecrest deserved better, and corrupt officials can expect severe consequences for using their offices to commit crimes.. Instead, Lary spent the money to pay his own property expenses and his dues to the Georgia Campaign Finance Committee. InJuly 2020, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted to disburse some of the relief funds to its municipalities, including a $6.2 million grant to Stonecrest. "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. None the less, I will continue to serve the people of the great city of Stonecrest.". Stonecrest could hold a special election to fill the vacant mayor's seat as early as March. One of the grants was to his church, which he awarded $150,000. He does not have to report to prison until Dec. 15, so he can continue treatment for prostate cancer. DeKalb County then disbursed $6.2 million of these relief funds to Stonecrest. 2023 FOX Television Stations, resignation went into effect at 10 a.m. Wednesday, he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 relief. 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. 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. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Stonecrest mayor appeared in federal court about misusing CARES fund 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. 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. His sentencing is set for May 2. The indictment alleges that Smith stole more than $450,000 in Social Security Administration Northern District of Georgia Lary and Boone knew the purpose of the transfer was to pay off the mortgage on a lakefront home owned by Lary. 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. 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. This sentencing holds Lary accountable for abusing his position of trust and blatant disrespect for the law.. 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 is expected to be sentenced on July 13 at 10 a.m. 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. Cobbles term is set to expire in 2026, so another special election will be necessary. The federal government permitted DeKalb County to further disburse these relief funds to its municipalities. ", 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. 5, 2022. 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. 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. Atlanta, GA 30303-3309. Attorneys for the Northern District of Georgia, Stonecrests former Senior Economic Development Manager pleads guilty to theft of 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, Stonecrests Former Senior Economic Development Manager Pleads Guilty To Theft of COVID 19 Relief Funds. 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. Lary previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, but his attorney, Dwight Thomas, indicated on Nov. 10 that he would take a plea deal. He then asked the church to give $50,000 back to one of the companies included in the scheme. The rescue team said the man was buried up to his neck in soil. 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. Former Stonecrest mayor sentenced to nearly 5 years in 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. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor Wilmot previously prosecuted the case. 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 resigned from his post as a mayor right before filing a guilty plea to the charges, citing health reasons and three battles with cancer. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 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. Boone was the companys bookkeeper and wrote multiple checks to disburse the funds, records show. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. His legal team is citing his health and lack of criminal record should merit a lighter sentence. Jason Lary received a sentence of four years and nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $119,607.69. Main Office: Lary issued a statement to FOX 5 about the censure: "My frustrations have boiled over with this council. The FBI and prosecutors found that $108,000 of relief funds were used to pay off the mortgage on a lakefront home owned by Lary, while another $7,600 was used to pay college tuition and rent for Boones son. STONECREST, Ga. Editor's note: The video above is from a previous story. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Then, Lary caused the city to enter a contract with MPRC to disburse the relief funds as directed by Stonecrest. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. On Wednesday, Channel 2s Tom Jones was in the courtroom as Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal program theft and federal program theft. Hopefully, he gets all of that, Morrell said. 2: Person of Interest. 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. Lary did not tell the businesses that he controlled these entities. Lary faces up to 35 years in prison on all three counts. Lary announced his resignation during a Zoom meeting on Tuesday. He resigned his post on Jan. 4 and accepted a plea deal the next day for concocting the scheme. 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. Inpractice, the Stonecrest Cares Program directed relief funds to churches and non-profit organizations in and around Stonecrest. 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. 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. Lary placed the defendant, Clarence Boone, who was then Senior Economic Development Manager for Stonecrest, in charge of overseeing the Small Business Program. If you have additional information, pictures, or video email newstipsatlanta@fox.com.
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