Ex-Mayor of Stonecrest Disqualified From City Council Race

Jason Lary, the former mayor of Stonecrest, Georgia, has been disqualified from running for the District 5 city council seat following a ruling by the elections board. The decision comes after Lary’s conviction for stealing nearly $1 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds, which the board determined made him ineligible to run.

A Controversial Comeback Attempt

As reported by Fox 5 Atlanta, Lary, 62, had announced his candidacy for the District 5 seat in August, just months after completing a federal prison sentence. In 2022, he was sentenced to 57 months in prison for embezzling pandemic relief funds. Prosecutors revealed that Lary had pressured local churches and businesses to return portions of their grants to companies he secretly controlled. He was released from prison in February 2025 and is currently serving a three-year supervised release term.

Despite his criminal record, Lary had hoped to make a political comeback in the city he helped establish. A former healthcare executive, Lary was instrumental in persuading lawmakers to create Stonecrest along Interstate 20 and served as its first and only mayor, winning two terms before resigning in 2022 ahead of his sentencing.

The Elections Board Ruling

Two DeKalb County residents challenged Lary’s candidacy, arguing that his federal fraud conviction disqualified him from holding public office. The elections board agreed, citing his conviction as grounds for removing him from the ballot. This decision effectively ends Lary’s bid for the District 5 seat.

The Fallout

The District 5 race will now proceed without Lary. Incumbent Tammy Grimes, along with challengers Karmesha Washington Smith and Diana Adoma, remain in the running for the seat.

Lary’s disqualification marks another chapter in the controversial legacy of Stonecrest’s first mayor. While his role in the city’s creation is undeniable, his conviction and subsequent disqualification underscore the challenges of regaining public trust after a high-profile scandal.

Ex-Mayor of Stonecrest Disqualified From City Council Race  was originally published on majicatl.com