Pool contractor ‘dug gaping holes’ in Florida customers’ yards then ran, officials say
.jpg "A Fpool contractor was sentenced to 30 years after officials say he defrauded customers out of thousands of dollars.")
A pool contractor convicted of scamming customers out of millions of dollars was sentenced to 30 years in prison, Florida officials say.
Brian Washburn, owner of Amore Pools Inc., required upfront payments and deposits from customers for projects his company never finished, according to an Aug. 29 news release from Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody.
An investigation conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement revealed that after Washburn took the money, the company would sometimes abandon projects before any work began, according to the release. In other cases, the contractor would often leave “dangerous debris piles and gaping holes” in customers’ yards.
Washburn marketed his company as quick and efficient, and he offered customers low prices, the release states.
The majority of projects were never finished and instead left homeowners with expensive property damage, the release states.
The investigation found victims in Brevard, Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties, according to the release.
Washburn used a third-party check cashing store to convert the checks he received to cash in an attempt to cover up his fraudulent activity, the release says.
“This fraudster will spend decades in prison for stealing millions of dollars from Floridians who made huge down payments to have pools built on their properties,” Moody said in the release. “He took their money, dug massive holes in their yards, then ran from his contractual obligations to complete the work, but he didn’t get far before the law caught up with him.”
Washburn was convicted on nine felony counts, including one count of organized scheme to defraud, two counts of money laundering of more than $100,000, and six counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information.
In addition to his prison sentence, he was also ordered to pay $3 million in restitution for his victims.
Washburn’s wife and accused co-conspirator, Chrystal Washburn, remains in custody at the Indian River County Jail, with charges pending.
This story was originally published August 30, 2022 at 11:47 AM with the headline "Pool contractor ‘dug gaping holes’ in Florida customers’ yards then ran, officials say."
