Ex-MD Police Chief Sentenced To Prison On Multiple Arson Charges

ROCKVILLE, MD — A former Maryland police chief was sentenced to 55 years in prison on Friday in connection with multiple fires he started at the Montgomery County homes of family members.

David Michael Crawford, 74, of Ellicott City, was sentenced after pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree arson and one count of second-degree arson, the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office said in a statement.

Crawford is currently serving a prison sentence of eight life terms and 75 additional years for similar crimes committed in Howard County, WTOP reported. Crawford will serve both sentences concurrently, prosecutors said.

The Montgomery County charges stem from three house fires in Clarksburg, which occurred in 2016, 2017 and 2020 at homes owned by Crawford's family members. Investigators with Montgomery County Fire and Rescue determined the fires were incendiary, meaning they were intentionally set.

Crawford, the former Laurel police chief, was accused of setting at least a dozen fires spanning six counties between 2011 and 2020. Several of the homes were occupied, including by children, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office.

Authorities began investigating Crawford in 2019 after noticing a connection between several arsons. Crawford was charged in Frederick, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's counties. He reportedly set fires in Anne Arundel and Charles counties but was never formally charged.

During his trial, prosecutors said Crawford had a list of intended targets and would plot revenge against anyone who challenged his authority, according to multiple reports.

Targets included Crawford's chiropractor, his successor as Laurel police chief, Laurel's city administrator, and former colleagues in the Prince George's County Police Department.

According to court documents, Crawford first set fire to his stepson's home in Clarksburg in 2016. The stepson wasn't home then, but the flames spread to an adjacent property while the neighbors were inside.

Prosecutors said he set his stepson's unoccupied home ablaze again in 2019. A third fire was set in a garage behind the stepson's other house in 2020.

In March 2022, Crawford entered an Alford plea in Frederick County Circuit Court for one count of first-degree arson. In an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but concedes that the prosecution has enough evidence to get a conviction.

A year later, a Howard County jury convicted Crawford of eight counts of attempted first-degree murder and two counts of arson. The verdict followed a six-day trial.

In addition to his role as Laurel police chief, Crawford was a former major of the Prince George's County Police Department and a former chief of the District Heights Police Department.