Local landscaper gets probation for not completing work

A Sedgwick County judge this week ordered a local landscaper convicted of taking project payments but not completing the work to serve five years of probation.

Premier Lawn Care owner James Arnold, 44, must repay $8,781.54 in restitution to homeowners whose landscaping and sprinkler work he failed to complete, the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

A jury in January convicted James of two counts of felony theft and two counts of misdemeanor theft. He was acquitted of a fifth count, according to court records.

In handing down the sentence, District Judge Jeffrey Syrios told Arnold he could be released from his probation early if he pays the restitution in full before the five years is up. If he fails to abide by other rules set forth by the judge, he could spend up to two years in prison, the release said.

Prosecutors say Arnold took money for labor and materials for landscaping contracts in Bel Aire, Maize and Wichita in 2015 and 2016 but never started work on three projects and abandoned a fourth before its completion. Arnold pleaded not guilty to the accusations, court records show.

Neither Arnold nor his defense attorney Brad Sylvester could be reached by phone for comment Friday morning.

This story was originally published March 17, 2017 at 11:52 AM with the headline "Local landscaper gets probation for not completing work."