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. Lary did not tell Church 1 at this time that he actually controlled REMC. 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. At least two candidates have publicly said theyll run to be the citys next mayor. Hopefully, he gets all of that, Morrell said. Lary continued with the meeting after an IT tech fixed the problem. 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. "Boones guilty plea further demonstrates our commitment to prosecuting those who seek to exploit COVID relief programs for their own gain. His sentencing hearing has been set for May 2. Author: 11alive.com Published: 6:24 PM EST February 11, 2022 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. STONECREST, Ga. Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges just hours after resigning Wednesday. 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. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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 return, prosecutors recommended a lighter sentence of 366 days in confinement half in prison and half as home arrest. 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. 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. Former Stonecrest Mayor Pleads Guilty To Federal Fraud Charges 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. Stonecrest Mayor Pleads Guilty to Stealing Georgia COVID-19 Relief The discussion comes after the censure of Stonecrest's mayor for comments he made during a meeting. As you can tell with technology, it can be immature and ridiculous, and thats fine, Lary said. Former Stonecrest mayor sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison for The city will hold a special election on May 24 to fill the rest of the mayors term after the office was vacated by Jason Lary in January. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. I let us down, he told the court, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 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. 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. STONECREST MAYOR RESPONDS TO ACCUSATIONS OF CARES ACT FUNDS MISUSE. 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. Lania Boone, 60, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge for her role in a scheme to steal federal pandemic relief funds. The City Council voted Monday to set the election date, determine qualifying information and formally ask ask the DeKalb County Board of Registrations and Elections to run the election. The image comes from the ancient quarries where highly-trained stonemasons carefully chose the stones used in construction. The rescue team said the man was buried up to his neck in soil. The three conspired to steal and misappropriate relief funds intended for struggling businesses in Stonecrest. The potential stakes are high for offenders who break new guidelines. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]. Ronald Bell, who conspired to extort money from Georgia Institute of Technology, has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit extortion. "He certainly, as alleged by the Grand Jury, used his position as mayor of Stonecrest to divert those funds and used his influence and connections," Erskine said. An official website of the United States government. Sentencing is scheduled for May 12. Former mayor of metro Atlanta city pleads guilty to fraud Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. 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 issued a statement to FOX 5 about the censure: "My frustrations have boiled over with this council. The government said no marketing was ever done. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In or about November 2020, Stonecrest published an application on its website for businesses to apply for relief funds under the Small Business Program. 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. She also agreed to pay restitution. The first mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to the federal charges earlier this year. Boone, who wrote the bulk of the checks using the stolen funds, agreed with that Friday in court. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorneys Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. It is extremely disheartening when an elected official, someone sworn to protect the community they serve, violates that oath by stealing relief funds intended to aid their community, said Keri Farley, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta. The censure stemmed from remarks Mayor Lary made at the end of a council meeting on Sept. 27. This article originally appeared on the Decatur-Avondale Estates Patch, Reports: 3 children dead, 2 wounded in attack at Texas home, Kellyanne Conway, George Conway To Divorce After Decadeslong Marriage: Report, School punished teen girl for working out in sports bra in 100-degree Texas heat, ACLU says, U.S. court won't require FAA to make airplane seat size, spacing rules, 'Extremely dangerous': Spike in illegal crossings at Canada-Vermont border has feds sounding alarm, SoCal in for cool start to weekend, butlight showers make brief return. 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. Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Both Boone and Lary remain out of jail on bond until their sentencing hearings. Jason Lary was accused of stealing more than $650,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Instead, Lary spent the money to pay his own property expenses and his dues to the Georgia Campaign Finance Committee. 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. Former Stonecrest mayor's accomplice pleads guilty to felony - ajc Former Stonecrest mayor pleads guilty to federal fraud charges Former Stonecrest mayor resigns and plead guilty to federal fraud charges. Charles Johnson, Sr., has pleaded guilty for not paying $1.4 million in payroll taxes and for failure to pay employment taxes. Now, the sheriff's office is hoping to reignite the search on this cold case. Former Stonecrest mayor sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison for 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. 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. Lary is expected to be sentenced on July 13 at 10 a.m. 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. He also resigned as the citys mayor. Boone was the companys bookkeeper and wrote multiple checks to disburse the funds, records show. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor C. Wilmot prosecuted the case. 2023 Cox Media Group. The people of Stonecrest deserved better, and corrupt officials can expect severe consequences for using their offices to commit crimes.. For more information on the Departments response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. 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, churches and the people of the city. 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. Lary won the mayors race twice, the citys only mayor in its brief history. Lary allegedly had the city improperly enter into a contract with a recently founded nonprofit, Municipal Resource Partners Corporation, to distribute the citys funds as a way to siphon money toward himself and cohorts. But he was using it for his own personal needs.. Instead, $108,000 dollars were transferred to pay off the mortgage on a lakefront propertyowned by the former mayor. In another case, Lary allegedly gave a church $50,000. 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. He faces a max sentence of 35 years in prison. 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. In a special-called meeting, members of the Stonecrest City Council voted 4-1 to censure Lary. 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. 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. "If you don't know protocol, you better learn it with me," said Lary. Residents will soon get a chance to elect a new mayor in Stonecrest. Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, federal program theft, and conspiracy on January 5, 2022. The judge says Larys actions were deplorable and rejected a defense request for Lary to avoid prison time. 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. Around October 2021, the United States seized approximately $480,000 of fraud proceeds held in the bank accounts of Visit Us and Battleground Media. The population is now 60,000 with a budget of more than $13 million. His plea came the same morning his resignation as mayor of Stonecrest became official. Jason Lary, 60, of Stonecrest, Georgia, has been sentenced to four years and nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Atlanta, GA 30303-3309. 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"I ask that you measure me by the whole story," Lary said. Last year the Northern District of Georgia US Attorney's office prosecuted at least 100 people involved in a total of $26 million in CARES Act fraud. All rights reserved. Boone is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12. Third, Lary and others acting on his behalf solicited relief funds from businesses that received grants under the Small Business Program. Sandra D. Smith has been arraigned on federal charges of wire fraud and theft of government funds. Per federal rules, Stonecrest officials could only spend these relief funds on necessary expenditures related to . The plan also provided $5 million to the COVID-19 CARES Act Small Business Program (Small Business Program). 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.