OGDEN, Utah — The owner of a swimming pool company, who was the subject of a FOX 13 News investigation, has been convicted of fraud charges.
A jury in Ogden last month convicted Robert P. Riley of one count of communications fraud and a count of theft by deception. He faces up to 30 years in prison. A sentencing hearing hasn’t been scheduled yet.
That’s because Riley, 50, still has five more criminal cases in Weber and Davis counties, according to court records. Those cases resemble the allegations prosecutors presented to the jury last month.
The Weber County Attorney’s Office accused Riley, who operated Triton Pool and Spa, of taking about $62,000 from a family in Farr West. He dug a hole in their backyard and installed a pool liner and some utilities but never finished the job, the family and prosecutors told jurors.
Much of Riley’s work had to be redone because it did not meet building standards or he did not seek inspections. The Utah Division of Professional Licensing has issued multiple citations to Riley and Triton for failing to obtain building permits, not receiving inspections, and working on projects that exceeded the scope of their contractor’s licenses. (Triton also does business as Colloseo, LLC.)
In a 2023 interview with FOX 13, Riley blamed construction delays on a snowy winter, supply chain shortages and customers wanting changes mid-project.
He said he would send FOX 13 documentation of clients requesting substantial changes, but he never did. Riley, in that interview, gave FOX 13 two different names – saying at one point his middle initial was “P” and then it was “R.” Court records say his middle name is Patrick.
Riley has pleaded not guilty in those pending criminal cases. Riley’s attorney declined comment after a hearing Wednesday to schedule proceedings. Riley is being held in the Weber County jail.
While victims in the criminal cases are hoping for an order of restitution, other families have sued Riley.
Riley’s banking and spending records have been disclosed as part of one of those lawsuits. They did not reveal any one place where money went. Instead, based on a review by FOX 13, it appears Riley used customer money on a mix of business and personal expenses for himself and his family.
One plaintiff, Tiffany Flygare, won a $42,500 judgement in her lawsuit against Riley. She’s still trying to collect.
“Maybe the outcome of this will help other people under the same situation as us, I hope,” Flygare told FOX 13 after attending Wednesday’s hearing.
Flygare’s lawsuit describes how her family hired Riley in April 2023 to tear out and replace an existing pool at their home in North Ogden. After the demolition, dirt and debris were left to sit in their yard.
After first installing new walls that were the wrong size, an unfilled hole was left to sit throughout the summer, the lawsuit says. Flygare contends her dog was injured after falling into the hole.
The Flygares filed their lawsuit Oct. 30, 2023, saying no one from Triton had been to their home since that August. Flygare and her family made payments totaling $39,000.
Wednesday, Flygare declined to discuss specifics of her dealings with Riley, citing the pending criminal and civil cases against him. But she gave advice to anyone wanting to hire a contractor.
“Lessons we’ve learned – do your research when you hire anyone to do anything, small or large,” Flygare said.
Search first, she said, for whether the contractor has a valid license and whether that license covers all the work you’re hiring the contractor to perform. License information is available through the Utah Division of Professional Licensing’s Licensee Lookup & Verification System online.