WESTFORD, Mass. — After numerous claims of deception and deceitful practices, a local business owner is facing charges for allegedly stealing from his customers.
John T. Smith, owner of Garside Monuments in Westford, is charged with four counts of larceny over $1,200 by false pretense and two counts of larceny over $1,200.
Boston 25 News has previously reported on the business’s alleged duplicitous dealings and Westford Police say there are now a total of 40 police reports making similar accusations.
One customer claims she paid over $3,000 for a gravestone commemorating her daughter, who tragically took her own life last year. That gravestone was allegedly never built and the grieving mother said she never received a refund.
[ ‘Heartless’: Grieving mother among dozens waiting for headstones, engravements from Mass. business ]
Another man claimed in June that Smith owed him over $2,700 for not following through on an engraved monument he and his wife purchased in September 2022.
“He always says he’s going to do the right thing and then he never does,” the customer said.
Both disgruntled customers, along with several others, filed complaints with the Attorney General’s Office, which said they are reviewing them.
Smith will appear in Ayer District Court on August 16.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW