Moody’s office files criminal charges against Tampa-based Olympus Pools
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution has filed criminal charges against Olympus Pools, a Tampa-based company for stealing and failing to complete work on customers’ pools.
“The owner of Olympus Pools victimized Floridians by demanding large down payments and abandoning job sites – destroying backyards and leaving customers short of funds to try and fix the mess,” Moody said.
The charges allege owner and operator James Ivan Staten, Jr., embezzled more than $1.5 million from state residents in areas that include Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco and Polk counties.
Staten Jr. was accused of aggravated white-collar crime, organized scheme to defraud, grand theft and contractor fraud.
“For many people, finally saving enough money to buy a pool takes years of dreaming and hard work, but for the victimized customers of Olympus Pools, their dream turned into a nightmare,” Moody said in a release.
“This defendant conned numerous Florida property owners by demanding large down payments on pools, then abandoning job sites—destroying backyards and leaving customers short of funds to try and fix the mess,” she added.
Olympus Pools allegedly defrauded customers in upwards of thousands of dollars by personal check, credit card, cash, or through financing under the assumption work would be completed in a reasonable time frame.
The result purportedly left many customers with no pools and destroyed yards.
Afterwards, Staten deposited the expenses into company accounts and then transferred the money into a personal account for individual expenses.
“Agents identified around 140 victims in Hillsborough, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, Sarasota and Pinellas counties,” Tampa Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell said.
“These victims trusted James Staten to build their dream pool, some paying in full using their entire life savings or retirement funds. But few pools were ever completed. Instead Staten preyed on these victims stealing their hard-earned money using it for personal vacations and Superbowl tickets,” Brutnell continued.
