Former Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary is facing more legal problems after prosecutors say he lied about his criminal past while trying to run for a city council position.

On Tuesday, a grand jury in DeKalb County indicted the 63-year-old on charges of unlawful disclosure of voter registration information, two counts of false swearing, and making false statements in connection with filing a notice of candidacy or qualifying as a candidate.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston said the new charges were filed after Lary registered to vote in August. During which time, he swore that he was not serving a sentence for a felony, Boston said. Days later, Lary filed paperwork to run for Stonecrest City Council, and Boston said he signed a document stating that he was not a convicted felon.

"When you turn in that paperwork, it is not done in the color of darkness; it's done in the light of day," Boston said. "You sign that paperwork, you submit that check, and you turn into a proper agency, and you tell them that everything is accurate from where you live to what you have or have not done in the past."

In 2022, Lary pleaded guilty to wire fraud, federal program theft, and conspiracy to commit federal program theft. Federal officials say the mayor had asked businesses and churches that received some of Stonecrest's funding to give portions of the money to three companies the mayor had created — Visit Us, Battleground Media, and Real Estate Management Consultants.

Prosecutors say he funneled $650,000 of the funds that were supposed to go to tourism promotion to himself, using some to pay back taxes and the mortgage on his lake house.

In July 2022, a. U.S. district judge sentenced Lary to 57 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay nearly $120,000 in restitution. He was released from federal prison in February and began his probation. 

"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 do is decide to run for office," Boston said. "It's very bold."

Boston said that Lary's attorney has notified the District Attorney's Office that he will turn himself in to the DeKalb County Jail on Thursday, with a bond set at $5,000.

Lary was the first mayor in Stonecrest, which was incorporated in 2017.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.