MOBILE, Ala. (NBC 15) — A Mobile County man has filed a civil lawsuit against the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System and its director, Bud McCrory, alleging they wrongfully targeted him with criminal charges over access to Big Creek Lake. According to the complaint, filed June 3 in Mobile County Circuit Court, Raymond Anthony Elsworth claims MAWSS “embarked on a campaign of retribution” against him and other families who enjoyed the lake “by weaponizing the criminal justice system against Elsworth in an attempt to bully, intimidate, and oppress Elsworth and members of the community from using their beloved lake.”
Big Creek Lake serves as the community’s drinking water source. MAWSS closed the reservoir to recreational boating and fishing in February 2025, citing concerns about invasive species. The lawsuit states MAWSS signed a criminal trespassing warrant against Elsworth in September 2025, and a month later, signed a second warrant accusing him of entering an area containing critical infrastructure. Both charges stemmed from Elsworth entering the lake on Aug. 18, 2025. Both cases were later dismissed.
Elsworth also claims MAWSS concealed the existence of an improvised explosive device found near the dam at Big Creek Lake in 2026. The lawsuit alleges MAWSS became aware of the device on March 2. A MAWSS spokesperson previously told NBC 15 News that senior management was notified about the device on May 6. The device was recovered and detonated on May 13. At the time, MAWSS described the discovery as an “unprecedented threat.” The lawsuit alleges MAWSS “fraudulently suppressed from the public the existence of this bomb” and further claims the utility failed to disclose its existence to the state while negotiating a settlement agreement…