Christoval business owner pleads guilty to theft of over $50K

SAN ANGELO, Texas ( Concho Valley Homepage ) — A business owner from Christoval charged with stealing over $50,000 from a customer who had contracted the business to build a pool has taken a plea deal, according to court records filed within Tom Green County.

Records stated that Rance Millican, 62, pled guilty to one charge of property theft valued between $30,000 and $150,000 on Sept. 9. In exchange, he was sentenced to two years with deferred adjudication and $52,638 in restitution payments.

A complaint record also filed within the county stated that a man signed a contract with Rance Millican and Tanya Millican, the owners of Deep Blue Pools, to have a swimming pool constructed on his property in Carlsbad. The man reported that he made a deposit of $52,638 and that construction was supposed to start in October 2022.

The man reported that although Rance and Tanya Millican personally came to his property to take measurements and check the ground, construction did not begin as of Dec. 11, 2023, over a year after the supposed start time. The individual also stated that neither of the Millicans had been to the property since the first time they came, adding that the pair had made multiple excuses over the months to explain why the pool was not being built. He said that Rance and Tanya Millican had cut off all communication with him after January 2023.

The individual filed a civil lawsuit against the Millicans in the 340th District Court to attempt to recover his deposit, and the Millicans were served the lawsuit documentation. The pair filed an answer to the lawsuit, stating that they would “contact plaintiffs and try to resolve this.”

The man was interviewed, during which he stated that he had spoken with Rance Millican on one occasion over the phone in May 2023. The individual said he demanded his money be returned, and Rance Millican informed him that he didn’t have the money anymore. The man also said that Rance Millican told him that “unexpected expenses” had come up and that the money had been spent on them.

The affidavit further states that bank records related to an account DBA Deep Blue Pools that was owned by Rance Millican and had Tanya Millican listed in the signature card showed a deposit of $52,638 was made on Oct. 12, 2022. Multiple personal debits were accrued by the account following this date, including debits from H-E-B, Applebees, Walmart and Buffalo Wild Wings as well as Discover credit card payments and cash withdrawals. The bank records showed that the account was closed in December 2022 with a negative balance of $1,720.

Tanya Millican is scheduled to appear in court for a plea hearing on Sept. 16, according to court records.

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