Pool company owner sentenced for stealing $1.2M, leaving Floridians with holes in backyards

Related video above from July 6, 2023: Olympus Pools owner banned for life from pool business, as part of AG settlement

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida pool company owner was sentenced to 30 years in prison for stealing $1.2 million from homeowners and leaving them with holes in their yards, according to Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody.

Chrystal Washburn, who owns Amore Pools, took payments from homeowners but left pools unfinished, Moody said. Washburn and her husband, Brian Washburn, would often leave debris piles along with holes in homeowners’ backyards.

“This couple promised to deliver dream pools, but left holes in Floridians’ hearts and backyards, by abandoning pool projects and stealing more than $1.2 million in cash,” Moody said in a statement.

Chrystal Washburn started Amore Pools by obtaining a fraudulent contractor’s license, Moody said, despite having no prior experience in the industry, by lying on the application and forging another contractor’s signature.

She also had a Palm Beach County engineer fraudulently vouch for her experience and said she had worked for his company previously, Moody said.

The Washburns took the checks to a third-party check cashing store to receive cash in an attempt to cover up the fraud and “make it impossible for customers to receive money back,” Moody said. They also forged customers’ signatures on permit applications.

Several homeowners ended up with liens on their homes after Amore Pools failed to pay its vendors.

Chrystal Washburn was found guilty of false information on an application for a contractor’s license; unlicensed contractor, state of emergency; organized scheme to defraud; seven counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information; two counts of money laundering; omit/conceal information to avoid workers’ compensation premium; and insurance application fraud.

Brian Washburn had already been sentenced to 30 years in prison.

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