STONECREST, Ga. — Editor's note: The video above is from a previous story.
Former Stonecrest mayor Jason Lary is asking for a lighter sentence than he faces after pleading guilty to allegedly stealing COVID relief funds awarded to the city during the pandemic.
The first mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty to the federal charges earlier this year.
Court documents show he was arraigned on the charges after relief funds expected to be allocated to the Stonecrest Cares Program and Small Business Program never made it to the city initiatives. Instead, $108,000 dollars were transferred to pay off the mortgage on a lakefront property owned by the former mayor. A bookkeeper was also involved in the scheme and arraigned, records show.
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.
"Mr. Lary has serious health challenges and at age 60 the Defendant finds himself facing a legacy of criminal history that is and was 'money motivated,' and not violence or physical harm to others, nor drug related," his legal team writes in a sentencing memorandum filed with the court.
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.
"The question of compassion to this Honorable Court is what is the appropriate sentenced for the conduct of this Defendant who, when confronted 'fessed up' and avoided costly indictment and made good faith efforts to cooperate with the Government," court documents read.
Lary is expected to be sentenced on July 13 at 10 a.m. He faces a max sentence of 35 years in prison.