Utah swimming pool contractor convicted of fraud, theft

OGDEN, Utah — The proprietor of a swimming pool firm, who was the topic of a FOX 13 News investigation, has been convicted of fraud prices.

A jury in Ogden final month convicted Robert P. Riley of 1 depend of communications fraud and a depend of theft by deception. He faces as much as 30 years in jail. A sentencing listening to hasn’t been scheduled but.

That’s as a result of Riley, 50, nonetheless has 5 extra felony circumstances in Weber and Davis counties, in accordance with courtroom information. Those circumstances resemble the allegations prosecutors offered to the jury final month.

The Weber County Attorney’s Office accused Riley, who operated Triton Pool and Spa, of taking about $62,000 from a household in Farr West. He dug a gap of their yard and put in a pool liner and a few utilities however by no means completed the job, the household and prosecutors advised jurors.

Much of Riley’s work needed to be redone as a result of it didn’t meet constructing requirements or he didn’t search inspections. The Utah Division of Professional Licensing has issued a number of citations to Riley and Triton for failing to acquire constructing permits, not receiving inspections, and dealing on initiatives that exceeded the scope of their contractor’s licenses. (Triton additionally does enterprise as Colloseo, LLC.)

In a 2023 interview with FOX 13, Riley blamed building delays on a snowy winter, provide chain shortages and clients wanting modifications mid-project.

He mentioned he would ship FOX 13 documentation of shoppers requesting substantial modifications, however he by no means did. Riley, in that interview, gave FOX 13 two totally different names – saying at one level his center preliminary was “P” after which it was “R.” Court information say his center title is Patrick.

Riley has pleaded not responsible in these pending felony circumstances. Riley’s lawyer declined remark after a listening to Wednesday to schedule proceedings. Riley is being held within the Weber County jail.

While victims within the felony circumstances are hoping for an order of restitution, different households have sued Riley.

Riley’s banking and spending information have been disclosed as a part of a kind of lawsuits. They didn’t reveal anybody place the place cash went. Instead, based mostly on a evaluate by FOX 13, it seems Riley used buyer cash on a mixture of enterprise and private bills for himself and his household.

One plaintiff, Tiffany Flygare, gained a $42,500 judgement in her lawsuit in opposition to Riley. She’s nonetheless attempting to gather.

“Maybe the outcome of this will help other people under the same situation as us, I hope,” Flygare advised FOX 13 after attending Wednesday’s listening to.

Flygare’s lawsuit describes how her household employed Riley in April 2023 to tear out and change an current pool at their dwelling in North Ogden. After the demolition, filth and particles had been left to take a seat of their yard.

After first putting in new partitions that had been the unsuitable dimension, an unfilled gap was left to take a seat all through the summer time, the lawsuit says. Flygare contends her canine was injured after falling into the opening.

The Flygares filed their lawsuit Oct. 30, 2023, saying nobody from Triton had been to their dwelling since that August. Flygare and her household made funds totaling $39,000.

Wednesday, Flygare declined to debate specifics of her dealings with Riley, citing the pending felony and civil circumstances in opposition to him. But she gave recommendation to anybody wanting to rent a contractor.

“Lessons we’ve learned – do your research when you hire anyone to do anything, small or large,” Flygare mentioned.

Search first, she mentioned, for whether or not the contractor has a legitimate license and whether or not that license covers all of the work you’re hiring the contractor to carry out. License info is out there by means of the Utah Division of Professional Licensing’s Licensee Lookup & Verification System on-line.