Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution today secured a strong prison sentence against a woman operating a million-dollar pool contracting scheme. The Honorable Judge Dan L. Vaughn sentenced Chrystal Washburn, owner of Amore Pools, to 30 years in prison for defrauding Florida homeowners. Chrystal, alongside husband and co-defendant Brian Washburn, took deposits and payments for pools—often leaving dangerous debris piles and gaping holes in victims’ backyards. In total, the duo stole more than $1.2 million in unaccounted-for cash.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “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. 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, Chrystal Washburn started Amore Pools after fraudulently obtaining a contractor’s license despite having no experience in the pool industry. Washburn 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 course of the scheme, Chrystal Washburn acquired local contractor licenses in various Florida counties by having a Palm Beach County engineer fraudulently vouch for her experience, lie and say that Washburn previously worked for the engineer’s company. 

Brian Washburn’s role in the scheme included acting as the frontman, selling homeowners on the idea of a custom dream pool and did some of the construction work. Chrystal Washburn 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 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. Often, however, after receiving a deposit, the projects went abandoned, leaving backyards in disarray with dangerous materials and massive holes.