Scammers poison Wheaton woman's dog after demanding $17k+ for termite spraying: cops
WHEATON, Md. - Montgomery County police are still looking for two suspects who allegedly swindled a Wheaton woman out of thousands of dollars in a home improvement scam, fell through her roof during a botched roofing job, and poisoned her dog after she suggested she wanted to hire other contractors.
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Police are still looking for 36-year-old Earl Marshall Nicholson of Gerrardstown, WV, and 52-year-old Roger Severt of Martinsburg, WV. They say a third suspect – 38-year-old Jeffrey Scott Sanabria – was arrested in Frederick County, Va.
Police began investigating the trio in May.
According to investigators, two of the men approached a 63-year-old woman on Horde Street and told her she needed repairs to her roof shingles. While they were on the roof, one of them fell through, creating a large hole.
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The suspect also allegedly conned the woman into writing checks for $9,800 for roofing material that never arrived. The repair work was allegedly never completed.
The men also told her she needed to have her home sprayed for termites – and a third suspect demanded $17,600 to complete the extermination job.
She reportedly paid $2,500 for the chemical spray, but after she told the suspects she wanted to hire someone else, they began making threatening phone calls and text messages.
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Investigators say the suspects then poisoned the woman’s dog with anti-freeze. The dog has since recovered, they say.
Police have obtained arrest warrants for Severt, Nicholson and Sanabria for charges ranging from home-improvement fraud to animal cruelty.
If you can help find Severt or Nicholson, call police at (240) 773-5476.