VERO BEACH — A pool company owner who operated a multimillion-dollar pool contracting scheme that sucked in victims from Palm Beach County and other areas was ordered to prison for 30 years this week.
Amid a courtroom packed with former clients who lost tens of thousands of dollars after hiring Amore’ Pools, Chrystal Washburn, 42, showed no reaction as she was fingerprinted in court and led away by bailiffs after a nearly two-hour hearing on Tuesday, June 25.
A jury seated for a five-week trial concluded that Washburn concocted a scheme to defraud homeowners on the Treasure Coast, Palm Beach, Brevard and Okeechobee counties by taking large deposits to build in-ground residential swimming pools, but never completed the projects, court records show.
Her trial lasted 22 days as jurors heard from 51 state witnesses and 24 defense witnesses, including Washburn, according to trial records.
Washburn, who lives in Indian River County, was convicted of seven counts of identity fraud, two counts of money laundering, insurance fraud, contracting without a license, false statement of compliance and organized scheme to defraud, records show.
Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Jonathan Bridges on Tuesday urged Senior Circuit Judge Dan Vaughn to impose a maximum sentence of 30 years “for the hurt and the pain that she and her husband caused people across this community and across the Treasure Coast.”
Bridges rejected any notion that Chrystal Washburn’s husband Brian Washburn had somehow coerced her or forced her into stealing money from customers.
“She certainly did not testify to Mr. Washburn abusing her or dominating her in any way,” Bridges said. “She was the owner of this business … This was a series of offenses that were committed in a sophisticated manner. And Ms. Washburn knew full well what she did.”
Bryan Washburn, 37, who identified himself to clients as a company employee, was convicted by a jury in 2022, and is serving 30 years in prison. He was found guilty of nine felony counts, including organized scheme to defraud, identity theft and money laundering of more than $100,000.
He also was ordered to pay $3.2 million in restitution to 121 customer victims. He is appealing his conviction and sentence.
Sentencing hearing
In court Tuesday, some homeowners who testified at both Washburn trials provided powerful descriptions of their money losses, ongoing frustration and anger, and feelings of betrayal.
Diana Fell, of Port St. Lucie, who lost $20,000, told Vaughn for five months she and her husband endured repeated lies, failed inspections and “poorly done work” that left a hole in their backyard.
“The backyard was destroyed,” she said, as she described to a crowded courtroom how the couple refinanced their home to cover their losses.
“My family, as well as the other families were consciously deceived. This was deliberate, calculated, precise,” Fell said in urging Washburn receive the maximum punishment. “This was pure greed, and it was criminal.”
When Washburn addressed Vaugh, she apologized for her actions and asked for lenience.
“I will not stand here before you to try and victimize myself in any way. I just am asking for fairness,” Washburn said in imploring for a punishment that did not include prison time.
“I know my ignorance of the law does not justify my actions and I’m truly sorry,” she said. “Please know my intentions and goal for my actions were to be a part in building swimming pools … and to deliver exactly what was contracted.”
She apologized for contracts and obligations left unfilled.
“I’m especially sorry to all of those who have lost money,” she said. “And to those whose pools I was unable to finish and to those whose pools I was unable to start due to my arrest.”
Her words rang hollow for Lucia Damante, 59, of Port St. Lucie, who broke down on the stand describing her “traumatizing” ordeal with the Washburns.
Damante said she and her husband are struggling to secure $80,000 needed to repair the damage to her property.
“Today I see the tears. I have a lot of tears,” she said, her voice breaking. “I am not the same person that I was when I moved here in January 2020. She has traumatized my life. I can’t even get out of bed.”
Her retirement dream of relocating to Port St. Lucie from New York to “have a good life” hasn’t happened, she said.
“If you ask me your honor, the intent was there from the day she walked through my door … and I signed that contract,” Damante said. “The intent was there to scam and not give us a quality pool.”
After hearing sentencing recommendations from both sides, Vaughn said Washburn’s case did not warrant using his discretion to sentence her below the minimum guidelines of 12 years in prison.
“I recognize a court certainly has the authority to depart from the minimum guidelines sentence if the court considers it appropriate,” Vaughn said. “However, I'd like not to do so in this particular case, due to the unique facts of this case and given this aggregate amounts of financial losses.”
Specifically, Washburn was ordered to serve 12 ½ years for convictions of false information on an application for a contractor’s license, being an unlicensed contractor during a state of emergency and seven counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information.
She was ordered to serve 30-year prison terms for her convictions of organized scheme to defraud, two counts of money laundering, one count of concealing information to avoid workers’ compensation premium and insurance application fraud.
Vaughn also ordered all her prison terms be served at the same time.
After court, her attorney Roger Azcona confirmed she will appeal her convictions and sentence.
“It's a very tough day for my client and her family,” he said.
Both Washburns were prosecuted by the Florida Attorney General's Office of Statewide Prosecution.
