Florida attorney general sues owner of pool construction company arrested for ripping off dozens of customers
TAMPA, Fla. - Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is suing a pool construction company and its owner for allegedly ripping off dozens of customers.
According to the AG's office, Cox Pools of the Gulf Coast and its owner Hillary Bello allegedly misrepresented the timeline for pools to be built and refused to issue refunds to customers for the work not performed. Moody said customers paid the company more than $1.5 million on untimely and unfinished projects.
Both Erica Villalobos and Filip Majewski said their financial future is in ruins because of Cox Pools of the Gulf Coast.
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"We're tanked financially for years to come. All the plans and college funds are on hold for the next five years. It is very difficult," former customer Majewski said.
Majewski's pool sat unfinished in his backyard for months after signing a contract with Cox Pools of the Gulf Coast in April 2021 to build a pool. He paid the company $70,000 in the form of three installments, but he said the company abruptly stopped construction in July 2021, citing delays in materials and labor.
Courtesy: Filip Majewski
He said his last communication with the company was in December 2021 when they told him his pool would be completed by May 2022, but he never heard from them.
"It was probably the worst mistake in my life to have to go through this whole process," Majewski said.
It was a similar story for Villalobos, another former customer of the company.
"A true nightmare. If I could give the pool back, I would give it back," Villalobos said.
She paid Cox Pools of the Gulf Coast $64,000 for a pool that was eventually finished, but they said multiple parts were installed incorrectly costing them ten of thousands of dollars to fix.
Courtesy: Erica Villalobos
"We can't get our money back. We have one light that works in the pool. We have four kids. That's a hazard in so many ways, so they have to be in the pool during the day. I've reach out to try and correct it myself and no one answers," Villalobos said.
FOX 13 made attempts to get in touch with Cox Pools of the Gulf Coast and its owner Hillary Bello, but their listed phone number was disconnected. Customers we spoke with said they haven't heard from her in more than a year.
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In June, Bello was arrested by the Manatee County Sheriff's Office and charged with embezzlement and organized fraud in connection with unfinished pools.
Moody filed this lawsuit against Bello and the company on Monday, seeking a monetary judgment against them for misrepresenting the timeline for pools to be built and for refusing to issue refunds to consumers for the work not performed.
"Cox Pools and its owner ripped off more than 25 Florida consumers, taking more than $1.5 million and never finishing the agreed upon jobs," Moody said in a statement that was released Monday. "The consumers were left with dangerous holes in their backyards and severe financial losses. This is unacceptable, and we are taking action to permanently ban this owner from operating a pool business."