Spencer Travis Calvert, 54, was sentenced to five years in prison in St. Johns County Circuit Court Wednesday. He entered guilty pleas to all 45 felony counts last month.
The 45 counts included Organized Scheme to Defraud more than $50,000, 15 counts of Grand Theft more than $100,000, Grand Theft, Misappropriation of Construction Funds $100,000 or more, 26 counts of Misappropriation of Construction Funds $1,000 to $100,000, and Misappropriation of Construction Funds less than $1,000.
The negotiated plea agreement includes an order requiring Calvert to pay $8,722,659.05 in restitution. At the time of the sentencing, the defendant paid $1,000,000, which was distributed among the victims based on their percentage loss of the total loss.
The term of incarceration will be followed by 30 years of probation, with the possibility of early termination if restitution is paid in full. Other terms include an agreement that if any proceeds from remaining lots owned by Calvert or Pineapple Corporation are recovered, the proceeds are to go to restitution in this matter. Calvert also agreed to execute default judgments in the civil cases to enable the victims to claim portions of the Florida Homeowners’ Construction Recovery Fund.
Between 2019 and 2023, several projects in the Vista at Twenty Mile neighborhood in Nocatee were abandoned by custom homebuilder Pineapple Corporation. The homes were in various incomplete stages; some had roofs, others just had a foundation. Calvert, the owner of Pineapple Corporation, misappropriated a total of $8,722,659.05 in deposited funds from the 15 victims who cooperated with the investigation.
Investigators uncovered that Calvert would take upfront deposits from the victims to pay several subcontractors he hired to do work on their homes. He never paid them, which forced multiple subcontractors to take out liens against the victims’ property for labor, services, and materials. As a result of the defendant’s actions, the victims lost hundreds of thousands of dollars and were burdened with paying off liens and hiring new contractors to finish construction on their homes.
“The defendant will spend the next five years behind bars,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said after the sentencing. “Construction fraud is a pressing problem, especially in growing communities like St Johns County. The State Attorney’s Office will continue to investigate and prosecute those who engage in said fraudulent activities”. (Note on quote accuracy: The missing period after “St” in St. Johns County appears exactly as written in the original press release).
The case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and Seventh Circuit State Attorney’s Office investigators in a joint operation with assistance from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Assistant State Attorneys Jennifer Lieb and Monica Smith successfully prosecuted the case for the State of Florida. The Honorable Christopher Ferebee heard the case and imposed the sentence.
Leave a Reply