TAMPA, Fla. — Olympus Pools owner James Staten turned himself into authorities in Pasco County today. He is facing felony charges related to the now-defunct luxury pool-building company.
I-Team investigator Jackie Callaway has been reporting on Olympus Pools for more than two years after homeowners began complaining that they had paid Staten tens of thousands of dollars, but he failed to finish the work.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement in partnership with the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office and the Attorney General today announced 34 criminal counts against Staten. The pending charges include aggravated white-collar crime, organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, and contractor fraud.
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Staten's attorney, Richard "Rick" Escobar, said he started representing Staten last week and did not yet have the final charges.
He called the situation of the failed business "heartbreaking for many individuals" but said his client had "no intention to steal any money."
Attorney General Ashley Moody had sued Olympus over hundreds of unfinished pool jobs. In a settlement, Staten agreed to a lifetime ban on managing any company that constructs residential pools in Florida. That was a civil case, not a criminal case like the one Staten is now facing.
"There are millions of companies throughout America that go into bankruptcy and fail,” Escobar said. “They don’t get charged with criminal offenses.”
Staten is being held on a $2.8 million bond. Escobar said he will seek a bond hearing and ask the judge to lower the bond so that Staten, who has no criminal history, can get out of jail.
