In Boulder County, Colorado, an Aurora contractor is heading to prison for 10 years after admitting to stealing over a million dollars from families affected by the devastating Marshall Fire. The fire had caused immense destruction, leaving many families desperate to rebuild their lives.
Leona Scott, the contractor, was hired by four families whose homes were either damaged or completely destroyed in the fire. Together, they trusted him with more than $1.3 million to reconstruct their homes. But instead of doing the work, Scott took their money and used it for other purposes. To make matters worse, he wasn’t even properly licensed to build homes in Boulder County.
According to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Scott signed separate contracts with each family, promising to rebuild their homes. However, he failed to keep his word, leaving the families in an even more difficult position than before. The Sheriff’s Office labeled this as a Class 2 felony due to the theft exceeding $1 million.
In October, Scott pleaded guilty to theft, a Class 3 felony. Last Friday, a judge sentenced him to 10 years in prison. He was given credit for 185 days he had already served. Additionally, Scott was ordered to pay $1,738,770.05 in restitution to the victims.
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty expressed his frustration with Scott’s actions. “This defendant preyed on families who were already suffering after the Marshall Fire,” Dougherty said. “Instead of helping them, he made their pain even worse. I’m grateful to the Sheriff’s Office and our team for their hard work in bringing justice to these families.”
The Marshall Fire was a tragic event, and for the families impacted, this betrayal by someone they trusted to help rebuild their lives only added to their hardship. Scott’s sentencing brings a sense of closure, but the journey to recovery for these families continues.
