Contractor accused of scamming $1.5M arrested in South Carolina

Make sure a home improvement contractor is registered with the state before you hire one. STAFF iPHONE VIDEO BY DAVID P. WILLIS Jamie Lynn Lawson (Photo: South Carolina Department of Corrections) CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN COMMENT EMAIL MORE A home contractor who was on the run since he was accused in December of stealing more than $1.5 million from numerous clients was arrested Thursday morning at an extended-stay hotel in Florence, South Carolina, according to the U.S. Marshal’s office in New Jersey. James “Jamie” Lynn Lawson, 42, the owner of Brick-based Lawson Renovations LLC/J&N Construction, was considered a fugitive and wanted by the U.S. Marshals and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, the agency that began an investigation into the contractor’s business. Lawson went on the lam in mid-December, shortly after he was indicted in Ocean County Superior Court on theft and fraud charges. ALSO: Sandy contractor indicted on fraud charges Authorities alleged Lawson skipped from state to state in search of natural disasters and people who relied on contractors to rebuild their homes in the wake of chaos. He moved to New Jersey shortly around the time Superstorm Sandy ravaged the Jersey shore in 2012. The Division of Consumer Affairs, the agency that licenses numerous types of contractors, authorized Lawson’s application to become a home improvement contractor, reportedly unaware he had criminal convictions in other states. Jamie Lawson, 41, of Brick. Jamie Lawson, 41, of Brick. (Photo: Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office) Over the years, Lawson lived in numerous states but was accused of offenses often related to fraud and theft in Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina. Watch the video at the top of this page to learn how to hire the right contractor. ALSO: Sandy contractor on the lam Since Lawson became a fugitive in December, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s office said the contractor moved around these various southern states: Austin, TX Dallas, TX Addison, TX Denton, TX Irving, TX Houston, TX Port Lavaca, TX Rowland, NC Fairmount, NC Lumberton, NC Bishopville, SC Greenville, TN Siloam, GA Livingston, AL Sedalia, MO St. Louis. MO Tulsa, OK Quapaw, OK Mendenhall, MS Brandon, MS Florence, MS Jackson, MS Magee, MS Lawson is at a local jail in South Carolina, according to NJ Advance Media. He is expected to be extradited to New Jersey.