Former Laurel Police Chief turned serial arsonist sentenced to 55 years in prison, plus life
David Michael Crawford of Ellicott City, the former police chief of Laurel, Maryland, was sentenced to 55 years in prison on February 13, 2026, for his role in a series of deliberate arson fires set across multiple counties. Crawford, 74, had already been serving two life sentences for arson charges in Howard County when a Montgomery County judge added the 55-year sentence to his punishment, stemming from fires he set between 2011 and 2020.
Prosecutors revealed that Crawford’s target list included former colleagues, law enforcement officials, and even his own family members. Among the victims were his stepson, Justin Scherstrom, whose homes in Clarksburg were burned on three separate occasions. Scherstrom, who spoke at the sentencing, expressed relief but noted that he did not believe his stepfather was capable of rehabilitation.
He told reporters, “This is a deeply personal case, causing my family a lot of stress over the years.”
Montgomery County Fire Lt. Chris Moe, who led the investigation into the series of purposefully set fires, said, “It’s nice to finally see after 10 years, that we can finally bring some sort of resolution to the case and to the family and give them some closure.” ~ WTOP
Investigators documented over a dozen fires, including those in Prince George’s, Montgomery, Howard, and Charles counties, many of which were set at night while the victims were at home. Surveillance footage captured Crawford pouring gasoline before igniting the fires with a cloth-wrapped stick.
“He was aggressive in his personality. If he didn’t get a promotion from you and he was [overlooked], you would become a target. If you fired him from a job, you would become a target. If you had a dispute with you over some school board matter, you would become a target,” said Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy . ~ DC News Now
Crawford’s law enforcement background made his actions particularly chilling, as he was well aware of the dangers he was creating. Authorities say his aggressive personality and tendency to target individuals after disputes—whether over job promotions or personal grievances—made him a serial arsonist whose crimes spanned almost a decade.
McCarthy emphasized that this additional 55-year jail sentence is a safeguard, ensuring that the 74-year-old Crawford would spend the rest of his life behind bars, regardless of any potential appeal on his earlier convictions.
For more on the story, see the video accompanying this article.
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(Additional source: Yahoo! News)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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