Stonecrest mayor quits day before he answers federal fraud charges
Jason Lary announced he was stepping down as mayor effective 10 AM Wednesday. That's one hour before he's scheduled to be in court for a change of plea hearing on his COVID fraud case.
STONECREST, Ga. - The only mayor in Stonecrest's brief history is calling it quits, one day before he’s due back in federal court on COVID relief fraud charges.
Jason Lary did not mention his criminal troubles during a 45-minute speech, a final official appearance over Zoom marred by hackers calling for him to be jailed.
"I’m proud to be the visionary," he said. "I’m proud to be the leader."
The speech was delivered as a victory lap for Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary, to celebrate the accomplishments of DeKalb’s largest city, one that only came to life five years ago after Lary and others pushed relentlessly for its creation.
Stonecrest has a population of 60,000 people, 96% of them Black. The city has grown quickly, with a current budget of $13.5 million.
"I did the best that could with the abilities that God gave me," Lary told his virtual audience.
But federal prosecutors say Lary gave himself something he didn’t deserve: more than $650,000 in COVID relief money that was supposed to go to prop up struggling businesses and churches in the city of Stonecrest.
Overall, the city received $6.2 million in relief money that Lary then doled out in grants.
Authorities say Lary insisted some of the groups he selected had to kick back a portion of their relief money to companies he secretly controlled. Other Georgians are being prosecuted for similar crimes.
Last year, Lary pled not guilty. But Wednesday morning he’s due back in federal court for a change of plea hearing, one hour after his resignation becomes effective.
"I ask that you measure me by the whole story," Lary said. "I did what we could with what we had in place."
He did not mention his criminal case.
Diane Adoma says she wishes no ill will towards Lary, a mayor she routinely criticized and ran against in the last election. She says she was surprised to hear he was quitting.
Dr. Diane Adoma ran against Lary in the last mayoral race and was a regular critic of the mayor while on city council.
She said she does not wish any harm on Lary or his family. But she says it’s time for government accountability.
"Today is a good and a bad day," Adoma said. "Today is a good day because he is going to step down. Whether by choice or not he’s stepping down. So that makes it a good day. It’s a bad day because Stonecrest is tainted with being such a new city with so many resources in our backyard. And yet we have not been able to vote in the right leadership that we need to take us to a higher level."
Hackers flooded the mayor's final speech with loud noises, pornography and a call from him to be jailed.
Lary took no questions during his virtual speech. Several times hackers interrupted with pornography, loud music and other distractions, one posting a graphic calling for Lary to be jailed.
Lary says he’s also battling cancer for the third time and has other serious health issues.