Attorney General James Uthmeier Secures Twenty-Year Prison Sentence for Fraudulent Pool Contractor

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Release Date
May 8, 2025
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier's Office of Statewide Prosecution (OSP) secured a 20-year prison sentence for the owner of Olympus Pools, who defrauded Floridians. James Ivan Staten, Jr., owner and operator of Olympus Pools, stole more than $1.5 million from Floridians and failed to complete customer pools. Attorney General Uthmeier's OSP previously secured a guilty conviction of Staten on 35 counts, including aggravated white-collar crime, organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, and contractor fraud. Staten accepted large down payments and left many customers in Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, and Polk counties with no pools and destroyed yards.

“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 Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Pinellas County State Attorney's Office Division of Consumer Protection led the criminal investigation into Staten. The following law enforcement agencies also assisted in the investigation: Pasco County Sheriff's Office, Polk County Sheriff's Office, and Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Previously, the Office of the Attorney General took civil action to shut down Olympus Pools, permanently shuttering the Tampa-based company. As a result of the civil action, the company is enjoined permanently from conducting business, and Staten is banned for life from operating a pool company in Florida. 

Staten is sentenced to 20 years in Florida state prison, followed by 30 years of probation to pay more than $1 million in restitution to victims. Additionally, Staten is ordered to pay a $1 million fine for the charge of aggravated white collar crime and is prohibited from owning or operating any business in the future while on probation.

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