Pool company workers accused of scamming $760,000

Two employees of a South Fort Myers pool company are accused of scamming 36 victims out of more than $760,000.

Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson announced the arrests of David Gerring and Tommy Glinka, who have been charged with racketeering and grand theft.

According to reports, the men are accused of signing contracts to build pools and pool-related structures with at least 36 customers in 2004 and 2005, collecting large down payments and sometimes additional draws, and then abandoning the job sites after pits were dug in yards or other preliminary work was completed. On average, the victims lost more than $21,000 each.

The men are associated with Gothic Pools Inc., a South Fort Myers pool company on U.S. 41. Gerring is a sales representative for the company. Glinka is the company's construction foreman.

"Unsuspecting consumers provided large sums of money to these defendants what for many of them was their lives' dream -- a pool in their back yard," Bronson said in a press release. "Needless to say, what they received instead was a lot of heartache."

According to officials, Gothic Pools Inc. incorporated in 2002.

Gerring was booked into the Collier County Jail on Wednesday, and Glinka was booked into the Lee County jail this morning. According to a press release from Bronson's office, charges are pending against two other persons associated with the business.