Local landscaper convicted of theft for failing to complete work

Jurors this week convicted the owner of a local lawn care company of four counts of theft for failing to do work for customers who paid him, the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release Friday.

James Arnold, 44, will be sentenced March 16 before District Judge Jeffrey Syrios. He was found guilty Thursday of two counts of felony theft and two counts of misdemeanor theft. Jurors acquitted him of a fifth theft count.

Prosecutors say homeowners in Maize, Bel Aire and Wichita gave Arnold money for landscaping projects in 2015 and 2016 but he either never started or never finished the work. He is the owner of Premier Lawn Care, which has a business address in Kechi.

The homeowners lost $8,781.54, the district attorney’s office said.

This story was originally published January 20, 2017 at 6:09 PM with the headline "Local landscaper convicted of theft for failing to complete work."