The first and former mayor of Stonecrest, Georgia, Jason Lary, who got a spot on the ballot for Stonecrest City Council has been disqualified from running for a seat on the council. Lary, who on Aug.27, only five months after his release from federal prison, officially qualified to run for the Stonecrest City Council. But the DeKalb County Board of Elections and Registration disqualified Lary not only from running for the office, he has also been stripped of his voting rights.
In July 2020, DeKalb County authorized a grant of $6.2 million to Stonecrest for public health expenses and support for small businesses. Authorities say Lary rereouted those relief funds through a private company he formed and absconded with the much-needed relief funding. Lania Boone, the company’s bookkeeper, at Lary’s direction transferred approximately $108,000 to a mortgage servicing company to pay off his mortgage. Lary also gave around $7,600 to Boone’s son for his college meal plan, tuition and rent.
The former mayor of Stonecrest, in January 2022, pleaded guilty in the United States District Court in Atlanta to wire fraud, stealing federal money and conspiracy. Prosecutors said he used the money to pay off the mortgage on his lakeside home and outstanding tax liabilities…