The Canyon County Prosecutor’s office filed 42 felony and misdemeanor charges Tuesday against Caldwell property owner Richard Harmon, alleging a pattern of willful neglect across 14 rental properties in south Caldwell that exposed tenants — including families with young children — to conditions that prosecutors described as “dangerous, unsanitary, and in direct violation of Idaho building and housing codes for a period exceeding three years.” The charges include 14 counts of felony injury to a child (for conditions affecting minors), 14 counts of maintaining a public nuisance, and 14 counts of violating Caldwell’s minimum housing standards.
The prosecution follows a year-long investigation by the Caldwell Code Enforcement division and the Southwest District Health Department, which documented conditions including exposed electrical wiring, non-functional heating systems, severe mold contamination, sewage backups, structural damage including sagging floors and compromised load-bearing walls, and pest infestations across Harmon’s rental portfolio. Several of the properties had been repeatedly cited for code violations over the past five years, with Harmon allegedly ignoring compliance orders and continuing to collect rent.
Conditions Documented by Investigators
Court documents paint a disturbing picture of the living conditions endured by tenants at Harmon’s properties, located primarily in the 1200-1400 blocks of Ash Street, Elm Street, and Dearborn Street in south Caldwell. Investigators documented exposed copper wiring in a bathroom ceiling directly above a bathtub used by a family with three children under age 10. Multiple properties lacked functioning furnaces, forcing families to rely on portable space heaters during Canyon County winters when temperatures regularly drop below freezing.
Mold contamination was documented in 11 of the 14 properties, with Southwest District Health officials finding Stachybotrys chartarum (toxic black mold) in concentrations exceeding safe exposure levels in two homes. Multiple children living in the affected properties have been treated for respiratory issues that health officials say are consistent with mold exposure.
Canyon County Prosecutor Bryan Taylor said the severity and duration of the violations justified felony charges. “Mr. Harmon collected rent from families — many of them low-income, many of them immigrant families with limited English and limited understanding of their legal rights — while knowingly maintaining properties that endangered their health and safety,” Taylor said. “This isn’t a landlord who fell behind on maintenance. This is a pattern of deliberate exploitation.”
Tenant Rights and Community Response
The Idaho Legal Aid Society has assigned attorneys to represent affected tenants, many of whom fear retaliation or displacement. Under Idaho law, tenants cannot be evicted in retaliation for reporting code violations, and the Caldwell Housing Authority has committed emergency housing assistance funds to any Harmon tenants who are displaced during the remediation process.
The Caldwell Hispanic community, where many of Harmon’s tenants reside, has organized a support network through local churches providing translation services, legal referral assistance, and temporary housing contacts. Community organizer Alejandra Mendez said the case highlights a broader problem. “This is one landlord who got caught, but there are others in Canyon County who operate the same way — profiting from vulnerable families who feel they have no options,” Mendez said.
What Comes Next
Harmon is scheduled for arraignment in Canyon County District Court on April 14. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum sentence of over 20 years. The 14 properties have been placarded as unsafe by the City of Caldwell until repairs are verified by code enforcement. Tenants with concerns about housing conditions in Canyon County can contact Idaho Legal Aid at 208-345-0106 or the Southwest District Health housing complaint line at 208-455-5400.