Attorney General Schwalb Sues Pest Control Company for Falsifying Licensing Documents, Exposing Customers to Toxic Chemicals

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today sued IJS Limited, LLC and its owner Clementina Maduforo (collectively "EJ's Pest Control"), for putting District residents' health and safety at risk by illegally applying toxic pesticides, submitting fraudulent licensing documents to the Department of Energy and the Environment (DOEE), and misleading the public about its pesticide application practices.

"EJ's Pest Control ignored our laws designed to protect people from toxic chemical pesticides and repeatedly lied to the public and the District about its unsafe and unlicensed practices," said Attorney General Schwalb. "As DC's independent Attorney General, I will continue to use the law to fight against threats to the health and safety of District residents and to put a stop to dangerous and deceptive business practices."

EJ's Pest Control, owned by Clementina Maduforo, serves residential and business properties throughout the District. Under District law, pest control companies like EJ's Pest Control must be registered as a pesticide operator with the DOEE, and individual employees must be licensed pesticide applicators.

OAG's investigation revealed that EJ's Pest Control:

• Illegally applied First Strike-a toxic pesticide: According to the label, First Strike must be placed "out of reach of children, pets, domestic animals, and nontarget wildlife." On multiple occasions, Maduforo posted videos to the company's TikTok account in which she placed First Strike in unsecured areas outside of residences, including on porches and other outdoor areas where children and pets could easily touch and ingest it.
  
• Commits licensing fraud: In February 2022, DOEE investigators issued a Stop-Use order to Maduforo after learning that the company's pesticide operator license and Maduforo's individual applicator licenses both expired in 2021. On three occasions, when renewing or maintaining the licenses-which requires proof of a valid, up-to-date certificate of liability insurance-Maduforo submitted false insurance certificates. Dates on the certificates had been clearly doctored and the District confirmed with the insurance company that it never issued the certificates submitted.
  
• Allows unqualified employees to apply pesticides: According to EJ's Pest Control's own records, at least 18 employees applied pesticides, performed heat treatments (the process of gradually heating a structure or equipment to temperatures high enough to kill pests), or conducted termite inspections on dozens of occasions from February 2019 to March 2023. None of these individuals are licensed pesticide applicators or termite inspectors, and EJ's Pest Control continues to use unlicensed employees to apply pesticides.
  
• Fails to keep adequate pesticide application records: EJ's Pest Control has failed to keep records of the types and amounts of pesticides they used, in violation of District law.
  
• Lies to customers: In advertisements and on its website, EJ's Pest Control falsely claims that the company and its workers are licensed to apply pesticides and have the proper certification to apply pesticides in a safe manner.

With this lawsuit, OAG is seeking civil penalties and to permanently bar EJ's Pest Control and Maduforo from doing business in the District.

A copy of the complaint can be found here.

A copy of the motion for preliminary injunction can be found here.

This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Wesley Rosenfeld, and overseen by Joanna Wasik, Chief of the Housing and Environmental Justice Section.

The Office of the Attorney General's Efforts to Protect the Environment

OAG has a proven track record of protecting District residents from environmental harms and is dedicated to doing all it can to protect the Earth and the District in the short and long term by holding polluters accountable and standing up for communities of color who are disproportionately impacted by environmental contamination. OAG works closely with the Department of Energy and Environment to coordinate and implement Anacostia River cleanup efforts and investigate and assess damage to the District's natural resources.

Over the past 10 years, OAG has secured nearly $120 million to promote environmental protection in the District- nearly half of which has been secured since January 2023, when AG Schwalb's administration began, including a $57 million recovery from Pepco for contaminating the Anacostia River for decades.

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