Business ProfileforVilla Pavers and Pools LLC

As of June 20, 2024:

The Florida Attorney General's Office of Statewide Prosecution today secured an 18-year prison sentence for the owner of a pool company defrauding nearly 100 Florida homeowners. Ricardo Villarroel Duerto, owner of Villa Pavers and Pools, along with salespersons and a licensed general contractor, defrauded homeowners in excess of $1 million.

Villarroel targeted victims in Broward, Collier, Hendry, Hillsborough, Lake, Miami-Dade, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas and Seminole counties. Villarroel promoted low overall prices on pools, compared to market value, as a hook to gain business from eventual victims yet pocketed significant deposits without following through on installation.

According to the investigation, state law enforcement officials received complaints claiming Villa Pavers and Pools collected around 40% of the contracted price for the installation of pools to some of the victims yet did not complete the job. Some of the installations resulted in giant holes in the victims’ backyards, while other projects never started after Villarroel took the deposit by simply cutting off communication with a victim.

Additionally, the investigation uncovered that Villarroel teamed with licensed general contractor Luis Alvarez of Conquer Builders, who aided and abetted Villa Pavers and Pools to defraud homeowners throughout the state. Alvarez sold the use of his general contractor license to Villa Pavers and Pools, an unlicensed contractor company, to present a contractor license to homeowners and obtain building permits.

Villarroel used the license repeatedly and hired two salespeople, Michael Borrego Fernandez and Laura Ballester Alpizar, gaining contract after contract to supercharge the scheme and acquire more business, leading to the excess in cash.

Alvarez, Borrego and Ballester are all in custody facing the same charges as Villarroel.

Alvarez pled guilty to both charges with a sentence pending. Borrego and Ballester are out on bond.

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As of October 28, 2021:

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.--Attorney General Ashley Moody and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis announced the arrest of Ricardo Villarroel Duerto, owner of Villa Pavers and Pools, for allegedly defrauding nearly 100 homeowners throughout the state in excess of $1 million. Authorities also arrested Luis Alvarez Daboin of Conquer Pools, along with Villa Pavers and Pools salespersons Michael Borrego Fernandez and Laura Ballester Alpizar, for involvement in the scheme. Attorney General Moody's Office of Statewide Prosecution will prosecute the defendants.

The Florida Department of Financial Services' Division of Investigative & Forensics Services initiated an investigation into Villa Pavers and Pools after receiving a complaint that the company collected 80% of the contracted price for the installation of a pool and never completed the job. The investigation revealed that the alleged business model for Villa Pavers and Pools aimed to collect 40% of the initial contracted price to install a pool, with no intent of doing the job, and/or leaving an unusable backyard with a giant hole.

The investigation also uncovered that licensed general contractor Luis Alvarez Daboin of Conquer Pools aided and abetted unlicensed Ricardo Villarroel Duerto and Concetta Villarroel Arismendi, owners of Villa Pavers and Pools, to defraud homeowners throughout the state. Luis Alvarez Daboin sold the use of his general contractor license to unlicensed Villa Pavers and Pools, so the company could present a contractor license to homeowners and obtain building permits.

Ricardo Villarroel Duerto, Michael Borrego Fernandez, Laura Ballester Alpizar and Luis Alvarez Daboin are charged with racketeering, scheme to defraud and grand theft. If convicted, the defendants could face up to 30 years in prison. Additional arrests are expected. Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Rebecca Smith-Hameroff will handle the prosecutions.

For further information, please contact:
Florida Attorney General's Office
Contact: Kylie Mason
Phone: (850) 245-0150

LINK: http://www.myfloridalegal.com/newsrel.nsf/pv/5102C450045F2A658525877C00655004