BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — An Aurora-based contractor is accused of stealing from four property owners who were rebuilding after losing their home in the Marshall Fire, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said Thursday.
Leona Scott, 63, took more than $1.3 million from the four property owners but never finished work, the sheriff's office said.
The agency said he entered into separate contracts with each of the owners and took their money but did not use that money as intended. In addition, the sheriff's office said he was not properly licensed to build homes in Boulder County.
He was arrested Thursday after a felony theft warrant was issued. Scott remains in custody and appeared in court Friday afternoon where a judge refused to reduce his bond. He's being held on a $500,000 bond and will return to court on Tuesday when formal charges are expected.
According to an arrest affidavit from the Boulder County Sheriff's Office, four property owners paid Scott $1.6 million between July 2022 and August 2023. Those families were asked to estimate what they believed was a fair amount for the work that was actually completed. That total came to roughly $248,000 for the four families.
One family first contacted the sheriff's office in September after the county notified him that Scott did not have the proper contractor's license. The homeowner said when he asked Scott about it, he said it was an "error" and that he just needed to resubmit some information, the affidavit says. The homeowner later learned Scott never got that license and that his insurance for the project had lapsed.
The homeowner also reported serious issues with work that Scott had already done, which included foundation work that was poured too high and needed to be redone.
He also reported that he believed Scott may have spent the money meant for the job on other items and noted the day after he paid Scott $200,000 that he showed up in a brand-new truck, the affidavit says. When investigators looked over his bank withdrawals, they found Scott spent about $58,000 on vehicle expenses – some of which went to a Nissan dealer.
They also noticed there were twice as many "personal" withdrawals than "business" withdrawals from his three bank accounts. The personal expenses include nearly $20,000 that was spent on travel. The affidavit states Scott reportedly paid $28,000 to a church he attends; that money went to church staff, their families and other religious associations.
The court document also states that some of the homeowners tried to convince Scott to give them some of their money back, and one even told him they cried every day because of this situation.
Anyone who has additional information about Scott or believes they were a victim should call Detective Arehart at 303-441-1416 or email karehart-rose@bouldercounty.gov.
The Marshall Fire erupted on the morning of Dec. 30, 2021, and raced east in high winds, scorching more than 6,026 acres and destroying 1,084 homes. Businesses were also destroyed. Two people were killed.
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