TAMPA (WFLA) – As part of a settlement of a civil lawsuit, Olympus Pools owner James Staten is banned for life from the pool business, according to the Florida’s Attorney General’s office.
The Pasco County-based company shut its doors in 2021, following a months-long Better Call Behnken investigation that exposed hundreds of unfinished pools the company left scattered in multiple Tampa Bay area counties.
Our investigation led to several state investigations and in the fall of 2021, AG Ashley Moody sued Olympus Pools and owner James Staten.
According to Moody, Staten has agreed to dissolve Olympus Pools for good and agrees to a lifetime ban on managing any pool company. She says the company admitted that it violated Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
“We are in the thick of summer when many Floridians want to enjoy their pools with friends and family, including many Florida consumers who fell victim to this owner’s greed and were left with holes in their backyard. My Consumer Protection Division shut down this company and secured a lifetime ban for this owner to ensure he will not operate any pool business in Florida, ever again,” Moody said.
The AG’s office said its criminal investigation is ongoing.
Court documents show that this settlement allows the AG’s office to pursue a million-dollar claim in the ongoing Olympus Pools bankruptcy case.
Watch above for Shannon Behnken’s related video from her Olympus Pools investigation
Homeowners throughout the Tampa Bay area were left to scramble to find other companies to finish their pools, even though many had already paid Olympus Pools in full for their projects.
Some customers who were left with unfinished pools in their yards have mixed feeling about the settlement.
“I really think the attorney general failed us,” said Christopher Deale, who had to hire another pool company to finish the project he had already paid Olympus to complete.
“Where are the charges?” Deale said. “The other issue is where is the money trail? This doesn’t just disappear.”
Court documents show the ag wanted to obtain a $10 million judgment … but because Staten demonstrated he doesn’t have the money, the AG will proceed with a $1 million judgment as part of Staten’s ongoing bankruptcy case.
That doesn’t sit right with some customers who tell me they lost tens of thousands of dollars.
“That’s sad,” Deale said. “That’s criminal, and to just get a slap on the wrist from the attorney general. I don’t think it goes far enough.”