VERO BEACH, Fla. — A jury has been seated for the trial for Brian Washburn in Indian River County, accused of taking millions of dollars from nearly 150 Amore Pools Inc. customers, never intending to complete a majority of the jobs, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Washburn and his wife, Chrystal Washburn, operated Amore Pools Inc. Both were arrested in October on numerous criminal charges.
The trial will begin Tuesday morning for Brian Washburn, who requested a speedy trial. A trial date has not yet been set for Chrystal Washburn, who is still in jail.
Brian Washburn was charged with 16 felonies, including using false information on application for contractor's license, operating as an unlicensed contractor during a state of emergency, organized scheme to defraud, fraudulent use of personal identification information, money laundering, insurance application fraud, and omitting/concealing information to avoid workers' compensation premium.
Court records show the state has listed some 180 witnesses as "victims," though it is not yet clear how many of those witnesses will testify during the trial.
Court documents also show Washburn could face a minimum of 18 years in prison if convicted.
