TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — It was more than two years ago that customers of Cox Pools of the Gulf Coast complained of paying upfront for pools that were left a mess.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed a civil lawsuit against Cox Pools and its owner Hillary Bello, accusing her of accepting more than $1.5 million in payments from at least 27 customers.
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Bello was arrested twice last year on three felony charges, two in Hillsborough County and one in Manatee County, accused of embezzlement, organized fraud and contractor fraud.
Public records showed that in Manatee County, the state attorney’s office allowed Bello to enter a pretrial intervention program.
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In exchange for paying their one victim $37,000 in restitution and staying out of trouble, the felonies won’t be prosecuted.
In Hillsborough County, Bello’s outlook was even better.
The state attorney there dropped the case, filing a letter of release. Under comments, this was listed: