In 2022, Charles Black, owner of Legacy Pools, was charged with grand theft and scheming to defraud after a customer accused him of taking a $19,800 deposit to build a swimming pool but failing to communicate or begin the project. The homeowner, frustrated with the lack of response, contacted St. Cloud Police, leading to an investigation.
Investigators later discovered that Black had used the deposited funds to pay for personal expenses, such as his mortgage and groceries, after filing for bankruptcy in 2023, according to court records.
However, by December 2023, the Osceola State Attorney announced that the case would not be prosecuted. The decision was based on the conclusion that the evidence was “legally insufficient to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Meanwhile, Blake Stewart, a civil attorney from Rockledge, has been pursuing lawsuits on behalf of several homeowners who claim Legacy Pools took advantage of their desire to install swimming pools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stewart’s lawsuits accuse Black’s company of collecting down payments without completing or even starting the promised pool projects.
