Cazzell was indicted and arrested in this case back in September of 2020. He pled guilty to all charges on May 13, 2021.

“John Cazzell repeatedly said that ‘this will all go away,’ but he clearly doesn’t know how we operate in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office – we work tirelessly to hold bad actors accountable and recoup funds for affected consumers,” said Attorney General Schmitt.“This case is yet another example of the great work that our Consumer Protection Section does every single day.”

Cazzell was sentenced to one year of house arrest followed by four years of probation. As part of his sentence, Cazzell paid $62,265 in restitution, which will go to pay back his victims. He is also forbidden from accepting upfront payments from consumers.

Last year, Attorney General Schmitt received a civil judgment against Cazzell for his unlawful business practices in Missouri in connection with the same landscaping business.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Brandon Gibson and Natalie Hewitt.

Consumers who believe they may have been scammed by a landscaper should file a complaint with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office by calling the Consumer Protection hotline at 800-392-8222 or by submitting a complaint online at ago.mo.gov.