Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s Office of Statewide Prosecution announced that James Ivan Staten, Jr., the owner and operator of Olympus Pools, was found guilty of defrauding Floridians of more than $1.5 million. Florida Travel Guide
35 counts, including severe white-collar crime, an organized fraud plot, grand theft, and contractor fraud, led to Staten’s conviction. He solicited big down payments from consumers in Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, and Polk counties but failed to finish their pools, leaving them with unfinished projects and demolished yards.
“I’m proud to announce that Prosecutors Stephanie Bergen and Panagiota Papakos secured a guilty conviction for this fraudster who turned many Floridians’ dreams of a backyard paradise into a nightmare, taking their money and digging holes to nowhere,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “Little did this fraudster know, he’d be digging himself into a 20-year minimum prison sentence.”
The inquiry indicated that Staten preyed on Florida homeowners, demanding advance payments via check, credit card, cash, or finance. He placed the money in Olympus Pools accounts and then moved them to his account to cover personal needs. Florida Travel Guide
Staten also hired subcontractors but frequently failed to pay them, leading to construction liens put on the homeowners’ properties.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pinellas County State Attorney’s Office Division of Consumer Protection oversaw the criminal investigation. Pasco, Polk, and Manatee counties all provided assistance.
Prior to the criminal conviction, the Attorney General’s Office took civil action against Olympus Pools, effectively liquidating the Tampa-based corporation. The legal lawsuit has resulted in the company being permanently restrained from conducting business and Staten being barred from operating a pool company in Florida for the rest of his life.
Staten’s sentencing is set for May 7th, with a required minimum jail sentence of 20 years.
