Sentencing for Avon contractor guilty of schemes totaling nearly $3M

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The 51-year-old Avon contractor who pleaded guilty to two schemes that totaled nearly $3 million, was sentenced in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Monday to four to five years in prison.

Jeffrey Crawford is the owner of Cleveland Custom Homes.

In February, Crawford pleaded guilty to:

• Engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity
• Aggravated theft
• Tampering with records
• Securing records by deception
• Passing bad checks
• Additional money laundering prohibitions

Crawford was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims.

According to Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley, starting in 2021, Crawford engaged in transactions with clients to build three homes in Cuyahoga County and Lorain County.

The homes were valued at $1.3 million, $650,000 and $600,000.

The home loans for the building process required Crawford to sign and submit documentation to the banks, confirming the completion of the work phases, and that the contractors had been paid.

Crawford forged and submitted these documents to the banks, falsely claiming the building work was completed and that the contractors had been paid.

The houses were incomplete, and the workers were unpaid.

Crawford then used the next portion of loan funds for work on other projects or personal expenditures, according to O’Malley.

In 2023, Crawford took money from three individuals in Cuyahoga County, Lorain County, and Trumbull County through his company.

The investments were for $50,000, $300,000, and $80,000, totaling $430,000, and he promised to repay them with a profit.

Crawford failed to repay the investments and even provided investors with checks that bounced.

As part of the scheme, Crawford then failed to repay the investments and provided some investors with checks that subsequently bounced.

The two schemes totaled $2.93 million and included six victims, according to O’Malley.

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