Jeffrey Crawford, 51, owner of Cleveland Custom Homes, pled guilty to various crimes:

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

The crimes were part of two schemes that resulted in nearly $3 million in losses to victims. Crawford was sentenced in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Monday to four to five years in prison and was ordered to pay restitution to the victims.

Beginning in 2021, Crawford engaged in transactions with clients to build three homes in Cuyahoga County and Lorain County - 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. However, Crawford forged and submitted these documents to the banks, falsely claiming the building work was completed and that the contractors had been paid. He used the next portion of loan funds for work on other projects or personal expenditures.

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, but did not.

Madeline Harden and Julia Thyret "Sentencing for Avon contractor guilty of schemes totaling nearly $3M" www.cleveland19.com (Mar. 23, 2026).

Commentary:

Owners have a range of responsibilities:

· Secure the financing of the entire project. Ensure the funds are allocated throughout all of the project phases, from design to completion.

· Determine and outline all objectives.

· Decide how the project will be executed.

· Select professionals, architects, engineers, and contractors. Make sure they understand the project, goals, and deadlines.

· Oversee budget, schedule, quality control, including legal requirements.

· Deliver on time, on budget, and with quality

· Post-completion, operate and maintain the built assets.

Be prepared to navigate risks that are not predictable - like geopolitical conflicts, regulatory shifts, supply chain disruptions, and inflation.