CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A Cuyahoga County grand jury has indicted Jeffrey Crawford, 51, of Avon, in connection with two alleged fraud schemes totaling nearly $3 million.
According to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, Crawford, owner of Cleveland Custom Homes, is accused of deceiving banks, clients, and investors through forged documents, unpaid construction work, and bounced checks.
Beginning in July 2021, Crawford allegedly engaged in fraudulent transactions related to the construction of three luxury homes in Cuyahoga and Lorain Counties, valued at $1.3 million, $650,000, and $600,000, respectively.
Crawford was required to submit documentation to banks verifying that specific construction phases were completed and contractors were paid before additional loan funds were released. However, prosecutors say he forged these documents, claiming work had been completed and paid for—when in fact, the homes were unfinished and the contractors unpaid.
He allegedly used the misappropriated loan funds for unrelated construction projects or personal expenses.
In 2023, Crawford reportedly solicited three individuals from Cuyahoga, Lorain, and Trumbull Counties for investments in his business. Victims gave amounts of $50,000, $300,000, and $80,000, totaling $430,000, in exchange for promises of repayment with profit.
Instead, Crawford failed to repay the funds and issued checks that later bounced.
The total losses across both schemes are estimated at $2.93 million, involving six known victims.
Crawford now faces 33 felony charges, including:
2 counts of Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity (F1 & F2)
4 counts of Aggravated Theft (F2 & F3)
3 counts of Telecommunications Fraud (F1 & F2)
3 counts of Tampering with Records (F3)
3 counts of Forgery (F3)
1 count of Theft from a Protected Class (F2)
3 counts of Securing Writings by Deception (F2, F3, F4)
7 counts of Passing Bad Checks (F4 & F5)
1 count of Grand Theft (F4)
2 counts of Money Laundering (F3)
Authorities believe additional victims may still come forward.
If you believe you may be a victim of Jeffrey Crawford or Cleveland Custom Homes, contact the U.S. Secret Service Money Laundering Task Force at 216-750-2058.
Crawford will appear in court at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center at a later date.
