By Terry Bridge
Markus Martens, the 73-year-old owner of Sarnia Pool Co., has been sentenced to a combination of jail and house arrest after pleading guilty to defrauding 11 customers out of over $100,000. Martens, who ran a pool installation business in Sarnia for decades, took money from customers for pool installations, parts, and repairs, but often failed to complete the work or delivered substandard results.
Many of Martens’ customers were left without pools after paying up to $23,000 for promised services, with some eventually discovering that their money had been lost in a Bitcoin investment scam Martens had become involved in. The victims of his scams, some of whom had waited months for their pools, were left financially devastated and emotionally distressed.
During his sentencing, Justice Mark Poland noted that the fraud caused significant harm to the victims, who were hardworking individuals deprived of their dreams and savings. “These are all hardworking, honest, good members of our community who have been ripped off,” said Poland.
Martens was sentenced to eight months in jail, followed by 16 months of house arrest, and will wear a GPS monitor during his house arrest. He was also ordered to repay the $109,400 he stole from his victims. In addition, he received three years of probation and a court order barring him from accepting payments in advance for jobs or being in a position of authority over people’s property or money.
Martens, who has prior fraud convictions, apologized in court for his actions, stating that he had hoped to make quick returns on investments, but ultimately defrauded his clients in a desperate attempt to cover his losses.
The court emphasized that, although the financial loss in this case did not reach the level of some larger fraud schemes, the emotional and psychological toll on the victims was significant. “There were common themes of feeling used, feeling ashamed, feeling like a fool,” said assistant Crown attorney Meaghan Jones.
Martens’ sentencing serves as a reminder of the severe consequences of defrauding clients, particularly in industries that rely on trust and reputation.