Scammers poison Wheaton woman's dog after demanding $17k+ for termite spraying: cops

1 arrested, 2 sought in Wheaton home improvement scam

Montgomery County police have arrested one man, and are looking for two others, after they allegedly bilked a Wheaton woman out of thousands of dollars.

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.

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.

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.