MARICOPA COUNTY, Az. – A Central Florida sheriff is lauding the out-of-state arrests of a couple he says have spent years using their pool-building business to defraud customers across Brevard, Orange and Osceola counties.

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey introduced Charles and Kristin Black — who were arrested Tuesday in Arizona — as the owners of Legacy Pools, describing an investigation that began in 2021 when the sheriff’s office’s Economic Crimes Unit was reportedly contacted by the U.S Attorney’s Office over multiple complaints for fraudulent business practices.

The fraud actually began when Charles Black lied about his criminal history on his application for obtaining his contractor license and went from there as the Black’s began using the company bank account as their personal bank account, spending approximately $2,000,000 on traveling, gym memberships, car rentals, parties, and other items!! That’s right, I said over $2,000,000 is what our Agents believe they defrauded from honest citizens in Brevard County who trusted them to build a swimming pool!!

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey statement on Facebook, 1/22/25 (excerpt)

Charles and Kristin kept signing more contracts even when they knew they couldn’t complete the work, Ivey said in a statement, adding they were unable to finish pool projects and couldn’t pay their employees or subcontractors.

According to the sheriff, the couple victimized more than 300 people while continuing to benefit from defrauding customers.

Simply put, they are thugs with a checkbook that were cashing checks on victim’s money who they lied to and defrauded!!

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey statement on Facebook, 1/22/25 (excerpt)

The couple was arrested via warrant and are being held in Maricopa County pending extradition to Brevard to face charges of organized scheme to defraud over $50,000, organized scheme to defraud between $20,000 and $50,000 and five counts of unlawful filing of false documents or records against real property, Ivey said.

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