Washington, D.C. — District Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb has filed a lawsuit against EJ’s Pest Control, accusing the company of putting the public at risk by using dangerous chemicals without proper licenses and falsifying official documents. The lawsuit targets both the company—IJS Limited, LLC—and its owner, Clementina Maduforo, for what Schwalb calls “a disturbing pattern of deception and disregard for public health.”
“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.”
According to the complaint, EJ’s Pest Control falsely claimed to hold valid pesticide application licenses and used unqualified staff to treat homes and businesses throughout the District. Most troubling, the company allegedly applied a highly toxic chemical—First Strike—in outdoor areas easily accessible to children and pets. The pesticide’s label warns it should be kept “out of reach of children, pets, domestic animals, and nontarget wildlife.”
TikTok Videos Show Unsafe Practices
In a series of videos posted to the company’s TikTok account, Maduforo can be seen placing First Strike bait in unsecured areas such as porches, directly violating safety instructions. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) says this blatant misuse could lead to accidental poisonings.
Fake Insurance and Expired Licenses
The lawsuit also alleges that Maduforo knowingly submitted forged insurance certificates to the Department of Energy and the Environment (DOEE) in an effort to renew pesticide operator and applicator licenses that had expired in 2021. The certificates were confirmed to be falsified after the issuing insurance company disavowed them.
Despite a 2022 Stop-Use order from DOEE, EJ’s Pest Control allegedly continued operating with expired licenses, and employed at least 18 unlicensed workers to perform pesticide applications, heat treatments, and termite inspections from 2019 to 2023.
Misleading the Public
The company’s website and advertising materials falsely claimed that all workers were properly trained and certified, according to the complaint. EJ’s Pest Control also failed to keep legally required records of pesticide usage, making it impossible for regulators to assess the full scope of potential public health risks.
Seeking a Permanent Ban
The OAG is asking the court to impose civil penalties and issue a permanent injunction barring EJ’s Pest Control and Maduforo from conducting pest control operations in the District. A motion for a preliminary injunction has also been filed to halt their activities while the case proceeds.
Public health advocates are urging residents who may have hired EJ’s Pest Control to report any concerns to the OAG.
Copies of the complaint and the motion for preliminary injunction are available on the OAG’s website.
