Attorney General James Uthmeier’s Office of Statewide Prosecution has secured a 20-year prison sentence for James Ivan Staten, Jr., the owner of Olympus Pools. Staten was found guilty of defrauding Floridians by stealing over $1.5 million and failing to complete contracted pool projects. The charges against him included aggravated white-collar crime, organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, and contractor fraud.
Staten accepted substantial down payments from customers in Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, and Polk counties but did not fulfill his contractual obligations, leaving many without pools and with damaged properties.
“Floridians trusted this corporation with their hard-earned money—instead of completing the job, this fraudster skimmed off the top and was sinking the cash into his pockets,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners, Special Counsel for Statewide Prosecution Stephanie Bergen, and Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Panagiota Papakos, this man will serve two decades behind bars and provide restitution to those he victimized.”
The investigation into Staten was led by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Pinellas County State Attorney’s Office Division of Consumer Protection. Additional support came from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
Prior civil action by the Attorney General’s office resulted in Olympus Pools being permanently closed. The Tampa-based company is barred from conducting business in Florida, and Staten is banned for life from operating a pool company in the state.
In addition to his prison sentence, Staten faces 30 years of probation during which he must pay more than $1 million in restitution to victims. He is also fined $1 million for aggravated white-collar crime charges and prohibited from owning or operating any business while on probation.
