A Florida pool and spa builder has been sentenced to prison for defrauding customers.
According to a press release from the Florida Attorney General’s office, James Ivan Staten, Jr., owner and operator of Tampa-based Olympus Pools, stole more than $1.5 million from Floridians and failed to complete customer pools.
Now, Staten is sentenced to 20 years in Florida state prison.
In March, Attorney General Uthmeier's office secured a guilty conviction of Staten on 35 counts, including aggravated whitecollar crime, organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, and contractor fraud. Staten accepted large down payments and left many customers in Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, and Polk counties with no pools and destroyed yards. Staten was accused of using his clients’ money to fund his lavish lifestyle while failing to finish their pools. During his trial, prosecutors argued that he continued to collect money even when he knew pools were unlikely to be built.
Ultimately, hundreds of pools were left unfinished in six Tampa Bay counties, with many customers left with holes in their backyards.
After listening to testimony over the course of 10 days, it took the jury nearly four hours to arrive at a verdict.
During his sentencing hearing, which took place on May 7, a judge sentenced Staten to 20 years in prison and 30 years’ probation. He will also be required to pay more than $1 million in restitution, as well as court costs and fines. The judge also stipulated that Staten will be required to provide quarterly financial statements.
“The sentence in this case is based on the fact that, out of all the testimony, you willfully ruined people’s lives,” the judge said during the hearing.
Attorney General Uthmeier seemed pleased with the sentence.
“Floridians trusted this corporation with their hard-earned money — instead of completing the job, this fraudster skimmed off the top and was sinking the cash into his pockets,” Uthmeier said. “This man will serve two decades behind bars and provide restitution to those he victimized.”
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Pinellas County State Attorney's Office Division of Consumer Protection led the criminal investigation into Staten. The Pasco County Sheriff's Office, Polk County Sheriff's Office, and Manatee County Sheriff's Office also assisted in the investigation.
In June, 2023, the Office of the Attorney General took civil action to shut down Olympus Pools, permanently shuttering the company. As a result of the civil action, the company is enjoined permanently from conducting business, and Staten is banned for life from operating a pool company in Florida.
