A company owner accused of posing as a pool contractor is being sued by the Minnesota Attorney’s General Office for allegedly scamming over $1 million from multiple homeowners.
Charlie Workman and MN Crete Pools, LLC are accused of engaging in “deceptive and fraudulent practices in marketing and selling in-ground pool construction and equipment that he and his company have not delivered,” according to Attorney General Keith Ellison.
In all, the alleged fraudulent scheme racked up over $1 million in sales, affecting 17 different Minnesota homeowners, according to the lawsuit filed in Scott County District Court.
Many of the transactions happened in the Twin Cities suburbs and exurbs, including Chanhassen, Chaska, and New Prague,
An investigation states that Workman started the company in 2021 and knowing that pool buildings can be booked out for months or even years at a time, he offered customers an opportunity by saying his company “had one immediate opening left for the season.”
He promised discounts if a customer would sign a contract immediately, some of which entailed taking thousands of dollars off payments, free diving boards, free landscaping or free chemical treatments for a year. However, Workman and his company never fulfilled these promises because they never finished a single project.
“This is a shameful scam that has hurt a lot of Minnesota families,” Ellison said in a statement, in part.
The lawsuit states that Workman made up multiple excuses, including the claim his employees were sick, he filed a permit incorrectly, or his equipment had mechanical issues. Additionally, he admitted to some that he had not lived up to his end of the project and promised to return the money owed. However, he never did.
Ellison alleges that Workman and his company violated several state consumer protection laws. The attorney general is looking to get restitutions for every person affected by this scam.
“I’m suing Mr. Workman and his company because they’ve taken advantage of Minnesotans who worked hard and saved up money just so they could provide a pool for their families to enjoy,” Ellison said.
