Pierce County man who took $73K for promised yard work now charged with 7 counts of theft

Timothy Roosevelt Baugh, a 58-year-old man from Lakewood, has been charged with multiple counts of theft after allegedly scamming two victims out of $73,000 by falsely promising yard work over two years. Prosecutors have filed four counts of first-degree theft and three counts of theft from a vulnerable adult against him. The investigation began when a fraud investigator alerted the Tacoma Police about suspected elder abuse involving a 71-year-old woman who paid Baugh over $36,000 for minimal landscaping services. Baugh's past offenses include a July charge for scamming a 75-year-old man with dementia, highlighting a disturbing pattern of exploiting vulnerable individuals. He was previously released on a $150,000 bail and is currently wearing a home-monitoring device.

A court hearing is scheduled for December 18 to further address these allegations, and prosecutors have indicated that additional charges may be forthcoming as the investigation continues.