DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The former mayor of Stonecrest, Jason Lary, was indicted Tuesday on charges related to filing false documents with the county to run for Stonecrest City Council.
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DeKalb County DA Sherry Boston announced his indictment on charges of making false statements, false swearing and false registration on Thursday afternoon.
“We as elected officials have a responsibility to make sure we’re being honest and truthful with the community that we’re asking to vote us into office,” Boston said.
Lary was under federal supervision and was federally convicted for financial crimes related to stealing from COVID-19 relief programs.
Boston believes he lied when he filled out an application to register to vote after he was convicted of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the city of Stonecrest. Boston says he lied on his application to run for the city council.
In August, the former Stonecrest Mayor registered to vote and filed paperwork to run for office in Stonecrest District 5. He was later disqualified from running.
However, as part of his voter registration and candidate qualification paperwork, he said he was not a convicted felon, signing in the affirmative.
When Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes asked Boston, Is it a possibility that it was just a mistake, Boston says she believes he knew exactly what he was doing.
“Defendant Lary signed a document affirming that he was not a convicted felon following formal challenges of his candidacy by two citizens. The DeKalb Board of Registration and Election took up the issue during the regular meeting on Sept. 10.
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At a news conference on Thursday, Boston criticized the campaign registration process.
“I think it’s pretty bold for any elected official that has been convicted recently of a felony that was covered extensively by the media, and it’s no secret to anyone in the DeKalb County community, to once being released from federal prison, the first thing they decide to do is run for office,” Boston said.
According to the DA’s office, Lary and his attorney worked out a deal to have the former mayor turn himself in and receive a $5,000 bond if he did it by 4 p.m.
It was not immediately clear if that process had happened.
Channel 2 Action News has reached out to Lary and his attorney for comment and is waiting for a response.
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