Florida – Olympus Pools owner James Ivan Staten, Jr. has been found guilty of defrauding Floridians of more than $1.5 million, leaving many families with torn-up yards and unfinished pools. The guilty verdict result, released by Attorney General James Uthmeier’s Office of Statewide Prosecution, represents a significant triumph against fraudulent business practices in Florida’s home construction industry.
For years, Staten ran Olympus Pools, a Tampa-based business promising to create luxurious backyard pools. Instead of keeping those pledges, Staten took big down payments from homeowners throughout Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, and Polk counties, only to drop projects midway. Some homeowners were left with nothing except massive backyard holes, empty promises and financial devastation.
“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 Uthmeier…