Former Laurel, MD, Police Chief Sentenced for Arson Spree
A former Maryland police chief was sentenced for a series of arsons in Montgomery County.
Ex-Laurel Police Chief David Crawford was sentenced to 55 years in prison for fires in Montgimery County.
Crawford committed 13 arsons in five Maryland counties over nearly a decade before he was caught in 2021, D.C. News Now reported.
“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,” Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy said.
Crawford was previously convicted on attempted murder, arson and other charges in Howard County where he received two life sentences, plus 75 years.
In Frederick County, Crawford admitted to setting fire to the garage of a former police colleague.
Investigators found a list of names consistent with the names of the arson victims on a computer in Crawford's home.
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Susan Nicol
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Susan Nicol is the news editor for Firehouse.com. She is a life member and active with the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Company, Oxford Fire Company and Brunswick Vol. Fire Co. Susie has been an EMT in Maryland since 1976. Susie is vice-president of the Frederick County Fire/Rescue Museum. She is on the executive committee of Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association. She also is part of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Region II EMS Council. Susie is a board member of the American Trauma Society, Maryland Division. Prior to joining the Firehouse team, she was a staff writer for The Frederick News-Post, covering fire, law enforcement, court and legislative issues.