By George Emami: Publisher
Big Peach Car Wash in Forsyth.
What began as an internal business dispute at Big Peach Car Wash has grown into a full-blown legal storm, entangling civil lawsuits, criminal charges, and claims of backdoor deals and personal betrayal.
Former partner Todd Rivers, who helped grow the Big Peach brand into a statewide car wash enterprise, is now suing his former partners—alleging financial deception and breach of contract. Meanwhile, Rivers is also defending himself against 26 criminal charges tied to a public school construction project—charges he says were politically and personally motivated by the same individuals behind his business exit.
The $8 Million Exit That Didn’t Set Him Free
According to court filings, Rivers agreed to surrender his shares in dozens of Big Peach-affiliated LLCs in October 2024 in exchange for being released from millions in company liabilities. He now says that agreement was never honored. Despite his exit, creditors and contractors continue to pursue him for unpaid debts, some exceeding $700,000, connected to multiple locations—including the Forsyth Wash, and Quincy Wash.
Rivers’ lawsuit details what he describes as a “financial shell game,” with money rapidly shifting between Big Peach locations to cover debts and bills. In just one example, $22,000 moved from the Forsyth Wash to the Quincy Wash to keep it solvent. Other alleged transfers include $195,000 from the Griffin Wash and $10,000 from the Ola Wash—each moving to prop up different LLCs.
A Criminal Case And A Familiar Name
The most serious development involves Rivers’ arrest on December 17, 2024, for 26 criminal counts—including forgery, identity fraud, and using another person’s contractor license. The charges stem from a school bathroom construction project at Mary Persons High School, which Rivers took on professionally after submitting the lowest bid for the job.
Authorities allege that Rivers fraudulently used the contractor license of Scott Brown, owner of DFP Construction in Homer, GA. Brown told investigators he had no knowledge of the project and did not authorize the use of his license—sending a letter to that effect to the Monroe County Building Department on October 17.
Rivers tells a different story. He claims Brown had previously allowed him to use his license on multiple Big Peach projects, including the Forsyth Wash and even Wes Cone’s financial office in North Macon. Rivers believes Brown reversed his position under pressure from Big Peach partners—particularly Cone and the Shepherd brothers—who he believes were looking for a scapegoat as the company’s finances deteriorated.
Adding to the complexity: Scott Brown is also the contractor now attempting to collect over $1.1 million in liens across Big Peach-related entities, some of which Rivers is still being tied to, despite his exit from ownership months earlier.
The McLendon Connection
The controversy deepened when Ronny Cone McLendon, the sister of Big Peach partner Wes Cone and an employee of the company, was also charged in connection with the bathroom
project. McLendon notarized a $79,569 payment request to the school board, which allegedly contained a forged signature from Scott Brown. Authorities say her charge may eventually be dropped, but the connection further blurs the lines between the business breakup and the criminal case. Rivers claims this is evidence that everyone knew he had permission to operate under Brown’s license.
A Smear Campaign? Rivers Thinks So.
Rivers contends that the legal troubles and public allegations against him are part of a broader effort to ruin his reputation after his departure from Big Peach. He says Wes Cone has been spreading false claims that Rivers stole from the company, and that this narrative has taken root in the community, despite there being no criminal charges related to fraud within the business.
In an email to the Monroe County Board of Education, Rivers wrote:
“Since October 4, 2024, the remaining owners have continually slandered me and my family’s name with false accusations and rumors throughout the community… I did hire Scott Brown to build several car washes for Big Peach. With that, he and I had an agreement to build the restrooms for the Board of Education. Now, due to outside influences, he has gone against our agreement.”
Monroe Matters has asked Cone if there was any proof for his claims of theft against Rivers, and thus far, he has said he was unable to answer the questions based on his attorney’s recommendations.
While I worked on this article, our editor reached out again to Cone hoping to give him a chance to share his side of this conflict. Cone did not respond and instead, our editor received a phone call from a Mike Conard, a partner of Big Peach. Conard then stated “Here’s our response. We have a partner who is a billionaire and he wants me to pass on the message that if you publish that article, he’s going to sue the hell out of you.”
Where Things Stand
The Rivers’ lawsuit against the Big Peach companies is pending in Bibb County, where the defendants have filed a motion to dismiss and requested that key financial details be sealed.
The criminal case is still under review by District Attorney Jonathan Adams, who says he looks forward to meeting with Rivers and his attorneys.
