Woman gets 30 years for million-dollar pool scam

FLORIDA—A Florida woman who reportedly orchestrated a million-dollar pool contracting scheme in Brevard, Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie counties has been sentenced to prison.

According to Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, Chrystal Washburn, owner of Amore Pools, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for defrauding Florida homeowners.

Ms Washburn, along with husband and co-defendant Brian Washburn, reportedly took deposits and payments for pools, often leaving dangerous debris piles and gaping holes in victims’ backyards. In total, the duo is said to have stolen more than $1.2 million in unaccounted-for cash.

“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,” said Ms. Moody.

“Thanks to our Statewide Prosecutors, Chrystal Washburn, the owner of this pool company, will now serve 30 years in prison for operating this scheme.”

According to an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Ms Washburn started Amore Pools after fraudulently obtaining a contractor’s license despite having no experience in the pool industry. She reportedly lied on the application and forged another contractor’s signature on an affidavit claiming to have worked with that contractor for more than five years.

During the scheme, Ms Washburn reportedly acquired local contractor licenses in various Florida counties by having a Palm Beach County engineer fraudulently vouch for her experience and lie and say that Washburn previously worked for the engineer’s company.

Brian Washburn’s role in the scheme reportedly included acting as the frontman, selling homeowners on the idea of a custom dream pool, and doing some of the construction work.

Chrystal Washburn reportedly operated behind the scenes handling contracts and payments.

The couple marketed Amore Pools as a small family business, using both attractive digital imaging in sales presentations and emotional invocations of sympathy by describing the family’s past tragedies.

The Washburns reportedly made lofty promises of completing projects within 90 days or included extra pool features for free to induce homeowners to enter into contracts with Amore and pay large deposits and front-end payments. According to the OSP, the projects often went abandoned after receiving a deposit, leaving backyards in disarray with dangerous materials and massive holes.

In an attempt to cover up the fraud and prevent customers from receiving money back, the couple is said to have used a third-party check cashing store to convert the customer checks into cash.

The OSP said the Washburns also committed identity theft by forging customer signatures on permit applications and notices of commencement. Several victims said they ended up with property liens when Amore failed to pay its vendors for materials.

A jury found Chrystal Washburn guilty of the following:

• One count of false information on an application for a contractor’s license, a third-degree felony
• One count of unlicensed contractor, state of emergency, a third-degree felony
• One count of organized scheme to defraud, a first-degree felony
• Seven counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information, third-degree felonies
• Two counts of money laundering, first-degree felonies
• One count of omit/conceal information to avoid workers’ compensation premium, a second-degree felony
• One count of insurance application fraud, a first-degree felony

Attorney General Moody’s OSP previously secured a 30-year prison sentence for Brian Washburn.

Assistant Statewide Prosecutors Jonathan Bridges, Cynthia Irvin, and Sophia Birriel-Sanchez prosecuted this case.