DeKalb Elections Board Disqualifies Former Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary from Council Race

The DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections voted on Sept. 10 to disqualify former Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary from running for the District 5 City Council seat. Lary, who served as mayor from 2017 to 2022, is currently under supervised release following a federal conviction for embezzling COVID-19 relief funds from the city.

Lary had qualified to run for the council seat in August, but elections board members cited his criminal record and ongoing supervised release as grounds for disqualification. The board also canceled Lary’s voter registration. A representative for Lary said he has completed his sentence, paid restitution, and re-registered to vote. However, the elections board noted that it had not been provided documentation showing that Lary’s civil rights had been fully restored.

Background of Conviction

In 2022, Lary pleaded guilty to embezzling funds intended for COVID-19 relief in Stonecrest. According to federal authorities, Lary used the money to pay the mortgage for his personal lake house and settle other debts.

U.S. Attorney Kurt Erskine said that under the CARES Act, $125 million in relief funds were distributed to DeKalb County. The county provided $6.2 million to Stonecrest, including $1 million for the Stonecrest Cares Program, aimed at mask distribution, COVID-19 education, and testing, and $5 million for a small business relief program. Lary, as mayor, signed a resolution in September 2020 adopting the city’s plan for the relief funds.

Under Georgia law, anyone convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude — including theft and fraud — cannot hold public office unless their civil rights have been restored and at least 10 years have passed since the completion of their sentence without a subsequent felony conviction of moral turpitude. Lary began serving his sentence in January 2022 and was released in February 2025. He remains under supervised release for the next three years.

Next Steps

The elections board confirmed that Lary has not submitted sufficient proof of restored civil rights, making him ineligible to appear on the ballot. This disqualification leaves the District 5 council race without the former mayor as a candidate, reshaping the contest for voters in Stonecrest.