Suspect in Custody Following Landscaping Fraud

A Maryland man has been arrested and charged after several county residents, including in Leesburg, complained that landscaping services for which they had paid were not finished.

The victims all identified Dave’s Lawn Service as the company with which they entered a prepaid contract for various services on properties in Raspberry Falls, River Creek, and the Wild Meadow Court area of Ashburn, according to a press release from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. In some cases, the contractor never even started the work.

Authorities on May 22 located David W. Lawson, 35, of Hagerstown, MD, in Washington County, MD, and arrested him after LCSO detectives obtained warrants on six counts of construction fraud—five of which are felony charges—and one count of obtaining money by false pretenses.

LCSO detectives began investigating the suspect in April after receiving complaints from the community. The investigation determined that the case involved numerous victims from Loudoun, totaling about $15,000 in losses to homeowners. Lawson remains held in Maryland pending extradition.

Anyone who believes he or she is a victim in the case can contact Detective J. Halley of the LCSO’s Criminal Investigations Division at 703-777-0475.

The following information was supplied by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office and does not indicate a conviction. For questions about this article, email leah.kosin@patch.com.